Asian Tequila Lime Shrimp

I began this recipe intending on just doing Tequila Lime Shrimp, however a thought came over me about halfway through cooking the Shrimp. I should change this up a little bit. That's where the Asian inspiration happened. I can't take all the credit for the inspiration though...I was watching Jackie Chan on tv at the time.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Shrimp
2 Limes
1 Lemon
Italian Seasoning
Perfect Pinch Cajun
Teriyaki Sauce
Soy Sauce
Tequila

Alright, so I began by gathering the spices and Limes. The Lemon was an afterthought.

I then got my Tequila. For cooking purposes, I use Camarena as it is tasty and cheap enough to not break the bank. Take a shot of it to make sure it's still good.

I put the spices in a Ziploc bag. I don't have an exact amount since I just eyeball it. I do believe it was about 2 parts Italian Seasoning to 1 part Cajun. I then sliced the Limes and Lemon up into small pieces. Add in Tequila. Use as much as you want. I used around 1.5 cups worth. Add shrimp. Mix together. Take picture and think how awesomely tasty it looks.

Get a skillet on your stovetop going with the heat set at MEDIUM. Toss in everything in the marinade Ziploc bag. Take another picture...or shot of Tequila. Your choice.

Now I let it cook for a few minutes, pretty much until it was boiling and then changed it up. I poured out everything but the Shrimp. I added in about a 1/2 cup of Soy Sauce and 3/4 cup of Teriyaki Sauce. Sorry about the picture quality, a lot of steam was produced in this part.

Now once they turn pinkish-red the Shrimp is done cooking. Turn off heat and get ready to serve. I used a small plate with some spring salad mix to accent the Shrimp. Enjoy.

Beef Yakiniku

So sometimes I end up at these Sushi restaurants, and I have to find something that I want to eat. Mind you, I am not the biggest fan of seafood or raw meat. I know, I'm weird like that. However there are always a few dishes listed that involve grilling/fire. Most places have something called Beef Tenderloin in Teriyaki Sauce or something like it. That's generally Japanese inspired, whereas I went for more of a Korean twist. Edohana Hibachi does an amazing one involving a few more ingredients than I had on hand, however I do know it was tasty!

Ingredients:
1 lb Beef Stew Meat
2 Poblano Peppers, diced
Teriyaki Sauce
Sweet Sour Sauce
Stir Fry Sauce
Lime Juice
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Ground Black Pepper
Butter
Sesame Seed Oil

Tonight I was unsure of what to do for dinner, so I delved into my fridge. I knew I didn't have it packed full of goodies, but was confident something in there would work. Lo and behold, Beef Stew Meat. I originally was going to make another beef stew since I love making it and of course devouring it really fast. Well, I looked at the Beef Stew Meat and noticed the Teriyaki Sauce. Well, an idea was born.

Now I haven't gone out to a Sushi or Asian style restaurant in some time, not including Ghengis Grill(mongolian stir fry), but I still remember Yakiniku. So I gathered my ingredients by searching through my kitchen.

Now that I had a solid group of ingredients to work with, I diced up the Poblano Peppers. I sprinkled the Sesame Seed Oil and Lime Juice in with them.

In a large saucepan I added about a 1/4 stick of Butter. Turned the heat to MEDIUM-HIGH. Now once it began to melt, I added the Beef Stew Meat in.

After about 1 minute, I added in Teriyaki Sauce. A lot of it as you can tell by the amount in the saucepan.

I let that cook for about another minute, then added in a healthy dose of Ground Black Pepper and Garlic Salt. After this part I also added in about 1 spoonful of Stir Fry Sauce and Sweet/Sour Sauce.

Once I mixed it up, I covered and let cook for about 2 minutes. I then uncovered the saucepan and mixed the meat up again. Then added the diced Poblano Peppers in.

Mix.

Let cook until Peppers are tender. Then serve.

I thought this was good but I think some more Pepper was needed.

Kirby's Korner: Edohana Hibachi & Sushi

First installment of the restaurant reviews section of the blog!

This past Friday I went to Edohana Hibachi & Sushi for the second time. The first time we went it was a good experience, this time not so much.

Section 1: Service
Now I don't necessarily expect 5 star service when going out to eat, however the service I incurred this past Friday was not the best. To keep you in the loop, this is a Hibachi steakhouse and Sushi bar. I have not been on the Sushi bar side, only the Hibachi part where the cook comes out and cooks everything right in front of you on a flat top grill.

So, the first time going the cook was amazing. He cooked the food and did it in a flashy manner as what is expected of this type of place. The second time, this was not the case. He tried to take the focus off of the food and onto himself. He even went so far as to make a show of tossing chunks of cooked egg into other customers' mouths. Yes it's flashy and showy, but very childish and not really what you should expect when going out to eat.

Side note was the actual waiter. He was very casual and not all that professional. Yes, he did take our order correctly, which the cook could not remember and had to ask, but in filling up my water he did spill all over the glass and table causing a small lake to form and attempt to flow on to me. Thanks for cleaning that up man.

Score: 3/5

Section 2: Food Quality
The food quality at this place is amazing. Each time the food was cooked to perfection right in front of us. The quantities were perfectly sized and filled me up while being quite tasty. I also enjoyed the fact that the cook pours a ginger sauce and hot mustard sauce before everything for you, which ended up being a good dipping sauce for my beef.

The hot mustard sauce was not really that hot, but had decent flavor. The cook also did everything in clear stages with a big show between each causing a little bit of a delay per part of your dish and that made some things go a bit cold unless you ate them as they came to you.

Score: 4/5

Section 3: Decor
This is located in a mall/shopping district and so looks just like another building on the outside. However, once you enter you are greeted by an open area with a small pond that has koi fish in it. Very Asian inspired.

This front area is where the Sushi bar area is located and appears to be very clean and organized.

You walk through an open doorway into a Hibachi steakhouse set up and it fits the part. Mostly looks up to date on repairs and staying in tune with their Hibachi theme. I did notice some issues with the ceiling tiles, but that is not a huge detracting mark.

Score: 4/5


Section 4: Cost
This place is very moderately priced. You get your meal with the luxury of watching it being cooked in front of you. The portions are perfect to fill you up but not stuff you into a food coma on your couch at home.

Score: 5/5

Overall Review Score: 4/5

Stir Fry

After procuring a Wok the other day, I decided to cook some stir fry...it might have gone the other way around. Either way, I have a wok and want to cook some Stir Fry. Who doesn't like Stir Fry?

I would like to say that I was able to throw everything together out of nothing and make this amazing dish, however I used frozen stir fry mix of vegetables. Sad I know, however I do like it since I was unable to find bamboo shoots, baby corns, and the like very easily today.

So I have the stir fry mix, along with some snow peas and snap peas. I start by coating the Wok with some peanut oil. Once that starts simmering, I add in the frozen vegetables. You might need to toss in some water to steam the vegetables a bit so they can cook properly. It's what I did. Put some Sesame Seed Oil in now if you have it.

Put in the Snap Peas and Snow Peas. I do this a little bit later since they are not frozen and won't have to defrost and all.

So after a few minutes of cooking, make sure to stir around a bunch, I grabbed my sauces. Yes, plural. I used a healthy 2 spoonfuls of Stir Fry sauce and 2 spoonfuls of Sweet Sour sauce. I cleared a spot in the middle of the Wok and added those two in. I then stirred so the sauce would be even throughout. After that, I added in a dash of Teriyaki Sauce and Low Sodium Soy Sauce.

Once done, take out and enjoy. You could even cook up some rice and put the Stir Fry on top.