Garlicky Shrimp

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012. I know I have not been updating as frequently lately, and I apologize for that, but I think it's going to continue for the time being. Lately the blog has taken a bit of a back seat to some other projects and for the time being that is going to continue. Don't worry, I am still cooking and I will still be updating as often as I can, probably about once or twice a week, so keep reading and keep eating. To start off the year I have some delicious buttery-garlicky shrimp for you. Enjoy!

Garlic Shrimp:
2 lbs of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of salted butter
lemon

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Put shrimp in a glass baking dish and pour olive oil over. Pass the garlic through a garlic press (or mince) and add to the shrimp and oil. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stir to combine everything. Chop butter into pieces and place on top of the shrimp. Cook until shrimp are pink throughout, stirring the shrimp occasionally, about 6-8 minutes depending on the shrimp size. Serve shrimp with the sauce spooned over it, and finish with a squeeze of lemon

Happy Eating.

Shrimp and Pasta Stir Fry

This week is an interesting experiment, it's called using up all the things in the fridge, freezer and pantry that I forgot I had. We didn't go grocery shopping this weekend because we were suppose to be getting a lovely vegetable box delivered from Pure Organics (I got a groupon). Then the day before the box was suppose to come, they are suddenly out of business (don't worry, I got my money back). I am extremely disappointed that I won't get my lovely fresh veggies, and too lazy to go grocery shopping during the week, so I will just have to see how much I can put the furthest and most forgotten corners of my pantry to work. Fortunately, I still have some leftover veggies. The tomatoes in this are actually from my garden (or the tomato jungle as I like to think of it). So here is a delicious and fridge/pantry cleaning hodge podge of pasta, veggies, and shrimp in an Asian-y sauce.

Shrimp and Pasta Stir Fry:
1/2 lb of spaghetti
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp of flour
Canola oil
2 onions
1/4 of head of cabbage
1 can of fancy bamboo shoots, drained
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of hoisin sauce
3 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
2 tsp of sesame oil
Sriracha
Salt, pepper, and chili powder
Cook spaghetti to package directions for al dente. In the mean time, heat a thin layer of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Slice the onion and cabbage and add to the pan, when it's hot. Cook until cabbage wilts slightly and onions start to brown, about 3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until cabbage is soft, about 5-7 minutes more. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and chili powder and toss with the flour. Remove cabbage from the pan and set aside. Raise heat to high and add a little more oil to the pan, cook shrimp until browned and pink, stirring once or twice, about 2-3 minutes. Add cabbage back to the pan, and add bamboo shoots, tomatoes, garlic, and cooked pasta. In a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, soy sauce, and vinegar and add to the pasta and veggies and stir. Add sriracha to taste and stir in. Sprinkle with sesame oil before serving.

Happy Eating.

Coconut Shrimp

I don't know why, maybe it was the marathon of Diner, Drive Ins, and Dives I watched, but I could not stop thinking about fried food. Fried anything, I just had to have it. Unfortunately we are in the middle (hopefully at the tale end) of a ridiculous heat wave and it is just too hot to cook anything on the stove top/in the oven. So I decided to see if I could turn my plain old gas grill (ok, so it's a little bit fancier than a plain old grill) into a range. Apparently, if you have an oven safe pan, and constantly remind yourself not to touch the handle, the answer is yes. I used my Wok, which doesn't have any melty-plastic parts, but any kind of oven safe pan would work. So if you live any where in the majority of the country, where it is currently too hot to cook inside, try using your grill in new and inventive ways. If not, this recipe would work just as easily indoors.

Coconut Shrimp:
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp of chili powder
Coconut Oil for frying (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 tbsp of Sriracha, or to taste

In a large wok or frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil. In a bowl beat the egg whites until frothy then add shrimp and stir until all shrimp are coated. On a small plate mix together the breadcrumbs, coconut, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Working with a few shrimp at a time, add the shrimp to the breadcrumbs, and roll them around to coat completely. Put breaded shrimp in hot oil, do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until shrimp are firm and golden. Repeat breading and frying until all shrimp are cooked. Add more oil as necessary, as the level gets to low, the oil should generously coat the bottom of the pan. I needed 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons. To make sauce, stir together mayonnaise and Sriracha. Enjoy!

Happy Eating.

Beeriyaki Stir Fry

I don't know what it is about summer, but it just makes me want beer, to drink and to cook with. This delicious concoction is a mixture of beer brats and a shrimp stir fry, and it is suprising and delicious. This fun combination is a great easy week night dish. You may have noticed that I have been a little shrimp happy lately, and that is because I made an awesome supermarket discovery, the un-peeled un-deviened non-frozen shrimp that I used to buy (and peel and devein myself) are the same price as the frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp. Amazing! So much easier (and less work) to un-thaw, than to peel and devein. So let the shrimp-a-poluzza continue.

Beeriyaki Shrimp and Sausage:
1/2 lb of shrimp
1 pork sausage (big link)
1/2 bottle of beer
1 tbsp of sriracha
2 tbsp of lime juice
1 bell pepper
1 cup of broccoli, chopped
1 cup of sugar snap peas
1/2 jalapeno
2 tbsp of teryaki sauce
2 tsp of cornstarch
1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs
Canola oil for cooking
salt, pepper
Rice for serving

In a medium sized bowl mix the beer, Sriracha, and lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper, add shrimp and refridgerate for about 20 minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage to brown. Remove sausage from pan (does not need to be cooked through), and set asside. Coat the bottom of the pan in oil. Chop pepper, broccoli and add to the pan. Add snap peas whole to the pan. Mince jalapeno and add to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are browning slightly, then reduce heat to medium low. Chop the seared sausage as small as you can and add to the veggies. Drizzle the mixture with the teryaki sauce and stir to combine. Add the shrimp, reserving the marinade. While the shirmp are cooking, whisk the cornstarch into the marinade. Add to the pan and turn heat to high, bring everything to a boil and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the panko, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

Happy Eating.

Sriracha Lime Shrimp

I love a meal that I can make super fast. Sometimes (believe it or not) I don't feel like cooking and I jsut want something delicious to be done already. I love a meal that I can throw a couple of things in a bag, go change, come back and cook it it about 10 minutes. It's good to have a few of those in your back pocket for lazy days or days you are so hungry you can't wait for dinner to be done. This shrimp meal is delicious, healthy and super fast. Just serve up the shrimp with sauteed veggies and chinese noodles (which cook in three minutes, so perfect for a fast meal). Or if you can't wait for the onions to soften, toss the shrimp and noodles with some lettuce and additional lime, and spritz of olive oil for a fast and delicious salad.

Sriracha Lime Shrimp:
1 tbsp of Sriracha Sauce
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup of vegetable stock or 1 tbps of canola oil for cooking

Place peeled and deveined shrimp in a plastic bag. Stir together the Sriracha, lime juice, sal, pepper, and ginger. Add to the shrimp. Let marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable stock (to boil) or oil (to pan fry). When skillet is hot, add shrimp and cook stirring frequently until they are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve with chinese noodles and sauteed vegetables (I used a pepper-onion-mushroom medley). Enjoy.

Happy Eating.

Shrimp Tacos

Two simple and delicious dips now get to become a delicious and fun dinner, with some super easy shrimp tacos! Up the easy factor by making the dips the night before (and then just try to save at least a little to have with dinner). This fresh feast takes about 10 minutes to make (if the dips are done, slightly longer if not) and is tastier and healthier (not to mention with way less salt) than what you'll find at the average taco/fajita serving restaurant. I am calling these tacos, because I used the really little tortillas, and I am usually a hard shell taco kind of girl, but with the peppers and onions they are probably more in the fajita camp, either way they are delicious.

Shrimp Tacos:
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 bell peppers, your choice of color
1 large yellow onion
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of chili powder
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 small flour tortillas
Queso Fresco, Sour Cream, Guacamole, and Salsa Verde for serving

Pre-heat the oven to 400. Heat half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the onion and peppers into thin strips, add the the pan and season with 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Cook until peppers and onions are soft but with a little bite, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent total burning (a little char is delcicious). Remove peppers and onions from pan and set asside. Add remaining olive oil. Season shrimp with chili powder, 1/2 tsp of pepper, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Toss them in the juice. Add to the pan and sautee until pink and curled. Use the oven to warm the tortillas. I like mine a little crispy, but if you don't watch them carefully, they heat fast. Serve tacos a la cart style with queso, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa verde. Enjoy!

Happy Eating.

Garlic Spaghetti and Shrimp

Back to reality. No more vacation, no more Halloween treats. A brief interlude of everyday cooking before the Thanksgiving rush happens. I am using this opportunity to try all those dinner ideas I have been craving, and all those recipes I have been bookmarking. Revamping basics and trying classic and new flavor combinations. Today I have something pretty classic for you, garlic, pasta, and shrimp. Simple, fast and delicious, it was a great way to ease myself back into everyday cooking.



Spaghetti and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce:
8 oz of spaghetti (half a box)
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium shallot
5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of olive oil, divided
1/4 cup of sherry
1/2 of a lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
Salt, Pepper
Truffle oil (optional)

Cook pasta according to box directions. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until tender, stirring often to prevent burning, about 6 minutes. Toss the shrimp in lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and let sit. Add sherry and cook until almost all the sherry is evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp to skillet and raise heat to medium-high. Cook stirring frequently until shrimp are pink and curled, about 2 minutes. Add The cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss to combine. Add in additional tbsp of olive oil and cheese, toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with truffle oil if you are using it. Serve and enjoy.

Happy Eating.

Garlicy Shrimp and Udon

On a lazy, slightly rainy gray, summer day I was craving something warm and soothing, yet still a lit summery and fun. I was thinking about a stir fry, and wondering how I could kick it up a notch. Then it hit me, soup! This delicious dinner was part stir fry, part homemade ramen, part soup, and all delicious. Like many of the delicious Asian and Asian inspired soups out there, it is totally hearty enough to be a meal, full of delicious veggies, shrimp and udon noodles. I found the noodles in the Asian section of Wegmans, it took a little hunting but it was so worth it.



Garlic Shrimp Soup:

5 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 container shitake mushrooms
1 bunch of swiss chard
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic, divided
2 tbsp Chili sauce
2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp of soy sauce
salt, pepper
8 oz of udon noodles (1 package)

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large pan or wok. Dice 3 cloves of garlic and the onion and put them into the pan. Lightly salt and pepper and add 1 tbsp of chili sauce and 1 tsp of curry powder. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium pot, smash the last clove of garlic and add it to the stock, add a tsp of curry powder and a tbsp of chili sauce to the stock. Cook the udon noodles for 10-12 minutes in the stock, then remove the noodles from the stock. Add the mushrooms and chard to the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the shrimp and the soy sauce to the pan. Turn heat to medium high and cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. To assemble the soup, put about a cup of noodles in a bowl with a generous scoop of shrimp and veggies, then top with stock. Serve and Enjoy.

The Shrimp Cooking away:


The Shrimp and veggies on top of the noodles:


Ready to eat:


Happy Eating.