Bang bang shrimp

    One of my favorite dishes at a restaurant is Bonefish's Bang Bang Shrimp.  After much begging from my boyfriend, I found a recipe and tried it.  It was absolutely amazing!
     It is fried shrimp but on a cheat day it's perfect! I found this recipe from cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com.
    
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons chili garlic sauce + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for spicy or
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce for mild or some of each
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Breading
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon coarse salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon rubbed (ground) sage
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried basil
oil for deep frying - peanut, vegetable or canola
16 to 18 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Garnish:
1 handful of mixed greens
1 green onion, chopped (green part only)

Instructions
In a small bowl whisk the sauce ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate.
Add the flour to a shallow bowl or plate. In a separate shallow bowl whisk the eggs and milk together.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, panko, salt, pepper and all the spices. Pour half into a large shallow dish or bowl and add more as needed.
Bread the shrimp:
One at a time coat the shrimp with the flour then dip in the egg allowing excess to drip off then coat with the bread crumb mixture patting on with your hands if needed. Set on a platter or large plate(s) in one layer. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Heat 1 - 2 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or in a big heavy-bottomed saucepan to 350 degrees F.
Fry the shrimp in batches for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate.
When all of the shrimp are fried add them to a large bowl and spoon 1/3 cup of the sauce over top and stir gently to coat them. If you like you can skip this step and just serve with the dipping sauce on the side.
Serve on the greens garnished with green onion with the extra sauce on the side.

Back to school!

     So, I thought I had already done a back to school post...but I think I forgot to actually "post" it!  Can you already tell how busy I've been?
     With this new year, many new things have come also.  We have new administration, new district leaders, new instructional coaches, a lot of new teachers, new students......my list can go on!  I'm trying to think of all these new things as positive things and so far so good.
     I am only teaching reading and writing this year so I really get to focus on student gains and data.  As a spreadsheet lover, I'm excited about this!  This is also scary because my student numbers have doubled along with the portfolios.  So far I'm really feeling this team teaching method.
     In my classroom, I have arranged my collaborative groups into L shaped formations.  This allows students to be able to work in small groups and still all face forward.  Each team has a captain and community supplies.  So far this is effective grouping.
     Our school has also adopted a superhero theme!  It's amazing how well the staff and students have taken this and run with it. 
   I'll have to add some more posts with our superhero theme :-)

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

     I love recipes that are healthy and can be used in many different ways!  Here's one that I make aaallll the time.  Originally I made this "stuffing" for bell peppers, but as I've made it more and more, I have found that there are many different uses and variations.  Here's the generic meat mixture...

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, diced
bell pepper, diced (I just use the top around the stem...instead of throwing it away)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound ground turkey (you could sub any ground meat you like)
3 tablespoons tomato sauce (pasta and pizza sauce work just as well)
1/4 cup cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon each of basil and parsley
Directions:
Real simple!  Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a medium skillet.  Add the ingredients, in order, as the previous one cooks.  For example, start with your onion.  When the onion looks transparent, add your pepper.  When the pepper starts softening, add your garlic.  And so on.  Finish with your seasonings.  That's it!  The "stuffing" is complete and ready to go.

     Tonight I made stuffed bell peppers.  For these, I cooked the hollowed out peppers in boiling water for about two to three minutes.  I set them aside to dry and cool a little (VERY HOT!).  When I could handle them, I filled the peppers full of the "stuffing".  I put them standing up with enough water to cover the bottom of my baking dish.  Lastly, I baked them in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
     I only make two bell peppers for me and my boyfriend.  Sometimes, I'll double the "stuffing" recipe and save it for later.  Here are some ideas for leftover meals!
~ Mix the "stuffing" in your morning egg white scramble with some baby spinach.
~ Add the "stuffing" to your omelet with your favorite melt-y cheese.
~ Use the "stuffing" as the meat base for spaghetti sauce.
    For a Mexican twist, substitute the onion, garlic, tomato sauce and brown rice for  yellow rice and your favorite salsa.  Stuff a pepper, taco shell, burrito, quesadilla, or pour over tortilla chips for an extra special Taco Tuesday!
    As a [chef] on a teacher's budget, I have found this particular recipe to be a great way to stretch a few ingredients over more than one meal.  It's also great to cook a lot of on a weekend night and use as quick leftovers on a Manic Monday night :)

Workin' on my fitness!

   It's been a while since my last post (school's about to start so there will be an influx very soon).  I've been using my exercise notebook/calendar for about two weeks now.  I've actually done very well.  For September, I will be making some adjustments to the overall set up of the monthly page.  In the picture, you can see that I definitely made some notes...several of the workouts I tried were either too difficult or not really my kinda workout (namely yoga lol).  I also noted if a I changed any times, intervals, or reps that way I can do better next time.
     Running has also been very difficult for me.  If it's not 100 degrees, it's monsoon-ing.  I did find a "rainy day" runner's workout that I really like, so I'll keep that in the bag for those "no run" days (I listed the exercise routine at the end).
     I found, too, that working out every day is very hard with my schedule.  I still completed every listed routine but some days I just doubled up.  For next month, I'm just listing weeks not days.  My thought is that in seven days I'll complete 4 workouts.  That way I can workout when I have the time and energy and not feel like I'm forcing myself...as long as I complete the week.  Not sure if that's scientifically proven but I feel healthier ;)

Here's the Rainy Day Runner's Workout: