TIOT: Bang Bang Shrimp (Paleo and Restaurant (somewhat) style)

Leave it to me...... I messed up the meal plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was a reason - I can't remember why now - OH, the baby.

She likes to get me all flustered and leech onto my leg and throw fits and tantrums and make it literally impossible for me to do ANYTHING, let alone break down chicken wings and stand over a pan of frying grease..... yeah, right. She laughs at my attempts - LAUGHS AT THEM!!!!!!!!! (evil child)

Anyways, she threw a fit of all fits and I just wasn't in the mood to try and battle her and do my recipe.
I've also realized I am going to change the name on Wednesdays to Water Food or Whatever is Left Wednesdays and use that as a leftover day sometimes because I cook for a family of 4... of which 2 of us really only eat, and cooking every evening and having the leftovers pile up is wasteful and not the best management of my time - which I am also trying to do better at.

So, back to TIOT - I ended up making some hot wings, not the Chinese ones but I also made the bang bang shrimp, which would have been a future TIOT, but is being done now instead!

I've never had traditional Bang Bang Shrimp from any of the restaurants that serve it, but I have had what I believe is similar - Rock Shrimp from my local sushi restaurant. Crispy fried shrimp in some amazing slightly spicy sauce.... so good. Well these are great too!

You will need:

(Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp inspired from paleofondue.com recipe for Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp)

1 lb raw, shelled shrimp (any size, but I used medium)
4 tbs EV Coconut oil
deep medium size sauce pan for frying

(for the coating)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch - USE FLOUR FOR "TRADITIONAL" RECIPE AND ADD PANKO
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tsp red pepper flake
2 tsp black pepper
chopped green onion for garnish/taste
 

(for the dressing)
1/2 C mayo
1 tbs sriracha
1 tbs chili garlic paste/sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar (if desired)
1 tsb sweetener (sugar or replacement - I didn't use any)

Here is what to do:

 

Shell your shrimp and set aside.

Combine starch (or flour) and seasonings in bowl

Toss and coat all shrimp in 'breading'

**some will coat once, dip in an egg mixture and coat again - I felt the less coating the better, and they were still crispy and very well flavored, so do as you please here

In the saucepan, melt coconut oil on med-high heat to deep fry the shrimp - I used about as much oil as would cover the shrimp halfway and just flipped them during the frying process, not much oil is really needed

Place shrimp in pan, careful not to overcrowd and fry on each side, about 2 minutes at most, or until crispy and cooked through

 

While frying, combine the mayo, sriracha, chili paste and rice vinegar in a bowl, mix well

 

Place fried shrimp in a bowl and spoon about 2 - 3 tbs of the sauce on top and toss to coat evenly, garnish with green onion (which I forgot and am sad about because it would have been good)

the little fried goodies

sauce (lots of it - so good on EVERYTHING!) and little golden goodies

toss to coat!

drool........

 



Well I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! My daughter didn't try them, but I am sure she would love them as she loves sriracha, and the husband approved (even in the coconut oil and with the starch!)

 

I will be making these OFTEN!



 

 



TIOT: The recipe that didn't happen.... VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

Well, this week we experienced the coldest day in our region in over 20 years.
Monday evening and into Tuesday, temperatures plummeted to -5.

And you know what happened Monday night???????

WE LOST POWER!

Around 9pm, as I was rocking the baby to sleep, the power cut out. And the temperature in our house came down, quickly.

I believe the lowest it got in the house was in the 40's. Thank GOD pipes didn't burst like some of our neighbors did.

Whatever happened damaged a lot of electrical equipment, apparently. We were out from 9pm Monday evening until about 5pm Tuesday evening.

Wednesday morning there were crews outside EVERYWHERE still as all underground wiring had to be replaced - IN THE COLDEST FREAKING TEMPS IN OVER FREAKING 20 YEARSSSSSSSS!

Poor guys, but so thankful for them restoring power.

So, I didn't cook a meal on Tuesday night - instead I cleaned up from Monday nights meal. So, I do not have my TIOT meal recipe and review blog. However, Monday night I did make....

HEARTS AND GIZZARDS!!!!!!
and I snapped photos!

I WARN YOU BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE MIGHT BE GROSS TO YOU. LOL. BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON A GIZZARD IS GROSS BUT RAW GROUND MEAT OR A BLOODY STEAK OR LIVERS ARE NOT GROSS..... BUT WHATEVER. IF YOU ARE A WIMP, THIS MIGHT BE GROSS. 

So, today's TIOT post will be my recipe (if you can even call it that) for Chicken Hearts and Gizzards!

CHICKEN HEARTS AND GIZZARDS

 

I've been eating hearts and gizzards since I was a kid. My step father introduced them to me, among many other ethnic foods. These really aren't ethnic, but I had never had them, and never would have if it hadn't been for him introducing us to different kinds of food. And, they are CHEAP. A serving offers over 30 grams of protein and at under $3.00 a package, it was a perfect food to feed our family.

 

I am not sure really where the gizzard is on a chicken, but I know it's part of the digestive tract that grinds up the food the chicken eats. And the heart is self explanatory.

 

Gizzards have a texture unlike any other 'meat' in that they are actually kind of crunchy. That's the best way to explain it.

 

My husband won't eat them at all due to the sound they make when I eat them, but he'll agree they smell amazing - so amazing my kid couldn't contain herself  and she had to try them for herself.

 

Once way to reduce the 'crunchiness' is to boil them, they become tender. I only eat them boiled on Thanksgiving, when they have been sitting at the bottom of the roasting pan in the broth from the turkey. Otherwise, I make them like this......

 

You will need:

 

1 package thawed chicken hearts and gizzards

2 TBS butter

1 TBS olive oil

2 tsp each of: garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, season salt

medium saute pan

 

Here is what to do:

 

First you need to prep the gizzards. There is a shiny white/blue (and inedible) membrane/connective tissue that connects the two edible chunks of meat together (how you like that for a description?)

(the gizzard - made up of two little meat chunks and connective tissue between)

 

That tissue/membrane needs to be removed. I think this is what turns most people off to gizzards because you really can't eat this part. You remove the tissue by flipping over the gizzard and separating it from the meat by sliding the knife between the meat the the tissue

(this is the gizzards backside - you can see where the lighter color is the white part on the other side and the darker area is the meat)

(I took a sharp knife and placed it where the skin and meat meet and slid the knife under it, separating the meat from the tissue)

(finished, prepped gizzard - little meat chunk on the bottom and the connective tissue at the top)

 

(here is my cutting board when complete - gizzard meat to the left, discarded tissue to the right)

DO NOT prep or eat a gizzard if it looks like the one above. I have no clue what that shit is but its gross and, just, no. Just throw it away!!!!

 

Melt the butter and the oil in a pan, throw them bad boys in there and put all seasoning and let cook on a medium high heat, stirring often.

 

I generally cook them until they have all turned dark brown - on med/high heat I would say maybe 20 minutes.

 

Viola! The finished product (green things are Brussels sprouts)

They are 'crunchy' - and I LOVE THAT TEXTURE. As does my 9 year old. As will you.

 

I eat these right out of the pan with the sauce that they create - I am sure they would be excellent over rice - if you are into that kind of thing.

 

I'm beginning to think chickens are heartless animals, because every time I buy a package of gizzards and hearts, there are 0 - 1 hearts and the pack says "mostly gizzards" so I don't have a heart photo but, if you happen to get one, you will know its a heart. And, there is no prep for those - just put those prized nuggets (they are my FAVORITE) in with the gizzards and try not to let anyone steal them!

 

Seriously, try these, and enjoy. They are so, so delicious.