Kitties' Birthday Party

Huckleberry's Strawberry & Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am in love with my two kitties, Chip and Ralphie, a brother and sister pair that I found on Craigslist a couple years ago. To celebrate their second birthday, I treated them to grilled shrimp and a slew of new toys. For the humans, I got cupcakes from Huckleberry (previously reviewed here). It was such a fun night, and a great way to celebrate the love and joy that they've brought me these past two years.

Perfectly Grilled Shrimp:

• Toss 3/4 lb. peeled and de-veined shrimp with 1 tbsp. olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.*
• Cook over a hot grill for 2-3 minutes per side, or until shrimp turn opaque.
• Let rest for 5 minutes before eating.**

Serves two
*If making food for your pets, do not add seasoning, this can upset their stomachs.
**If feeding to pets, cut into very small pieces, and limit the portion to 1 shrimp per cat.

Ralphie (left) & Chip (right)

Mixed Shellfish in Tomato-Herb Broth

Steamed shellfish is such a great summer meal, especially paired with the season's fresh tomatoes and herbs. A lighter version of the steamed mussels I made here, this recipe calls for a light tomato broth to simmer the clams and mussels in. It's really a show-stopping meal, but quite easy and inexpensive to make. The whole thing cost me about $12 and took twenty minutes to put together, which means more money for summer vacations and more time to enjoy the warm weather.

Mussels & Clams Steamed in Tomato-Herb Broth:

• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large dutch oven.
• Add in 3 cloves minced garlic, 5 or 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 pinch red chili flakes, and 1 lb. cherry tomatoes.
• Cook tomatoes for 8-10 minutes, or until soft and bursting.
• Add in 1/2 bottle dry white wine and let reduce for 5 minutes.
• Use a potato masher to pulverize the tomatoes a little.
• Season broth with salt and pepper.
• Add in 1.5 lbs. cleaned* clams and mussels.
• Put a lid on the pot and let shellfish steam for 3-5 minutes, or until shells open.
• Discard any unopened shells and stir in 1/4 c. chopped parsley.
• Divide into bowls and serve with slices of grilled baguette.**

Serves two
*To clean shellfish, scrub the shells with a brush, then soak them in ice water for 10 minutes; the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
**To grill baguette, slice into 1/2 inch thick pieces and grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. 

Grilled Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

I saw an article in Cooking Light for grilled quesadillas (apparently quesadillas can be low calorie) and knew I had to try this idea, KSD-style. I assembled the quesadillas using my favorite chicken fajita ingredients and bound it all together with some spicy jalapeno-jack cheese. It's important to use enough cheese to qualify as a quesadilla without putting so much that you get a gooey mess all over your grill. The result was amazing, with a crunchy smokey tortilla holding together a creamy, cheesy interior. I served mine with homemade guacamole.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Quesadillas:

• Season 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast with your favorite fajita seasoning blend.
• Thickly slice one bell pepper and one red onion and brush with canola oil.
• Remove silks from 2 ears of corn, keeping husks intact. 
• Grill chicken and vegetables over high heat for 6-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.*
• Let grilled items cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.
• To assemble quesadillas, place a large flour tortilla on your cutting board.
• Place a thin layer of grated pepper jack cheese on half of the quesadilla.
• Sprinkle some of the chicken and vegetables on the same side, then top with another layer of cheese.
• Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the half with the filling and brush both sides with canola oil.
• Repeat until all the filling has been used, about 4 or 5 times.
• Place quesadillas on a medium-hot grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted.
• To serve, cut quesadillas into quarters and serve with guacamole.**

Serves four - six
*To grill corn, grill with husks on for 4-5 minutes per side, then peel back husks and char kernels for another 2-3 minutes.
**Click here for my guacamole recipe.