JBug's Kitchen Antics

Antipasto in a Jar

Sorry I'm late today but as you know, we've been prepping for a big party here the past couple of days. It certainly has put my new kitchen to the test and I have to say it performed admirably. It's the bomb!

The following appetizer was a huge hit last night at the party and it had me wondering why I hadn't made it in a long time. Antipasto was incredibly popular in my old home city of Calgary in the 80's (likely before some of you were born - geez, I AM old) and was often an excuse all on it's own to gather some friends together, drink wine and make a huge batch of the stuff - especially a "long form version" that's loaded all kinds of veggies and takes hours and hours of hand chopping to get it right. 

Fortunately, this is a simplified version and we can thank the Ladies of Best of Bridge fame for this incredibly flavorful appetizer that's a cross between Italian giardiniera and a tomato salsa. Since the recipe makes about 1-1/2 quarts of the good stuff, it's perfect party food for a crowd and/or for portioning into zip bags and freezing for when a munchie fit hits. 

Simply made from hot ketchup, chili sauce, olives, relish and marinated mushrooms along with shrimp and tuna all simmered on the stove to blend the flavors then cooled quickly, it packs quite a punch to the tastebuds and is best served very, very cold. It is a visually appealing topping on assorted crackers, flatbread or even inside mini- pita pockets and trust me, it'll have everyone asking "what's in that stuff anyway?"

Incidentally, although yesterday's temperature (90's) was cooler than some of our past party days, just to be to be safe and not poison any of our guests I placed the container of Antipasto on crushed ice in a crystal champagne bucket my sister gave me eons ago. After all, I'd sure hate to be the reason one of our guests missed writing their final exams, ya know. Wink, wink.

 

Antipasto in a Jar (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Grand Slam, Recipes from the Best of Bridge)

1 – 15 ounce bottle hot ketchup

1 – 12 ounce bottle chili sauce

1 – 10 ounce jar pimento olive pieces, drained

1 – 16 ounce jar sweet green relish

1 – 8 ounce jar marinated mushrooms in garlic

1 pound tiny bay shrimp, or 2 – 7 ounce cans baby shrimp drained

2 – 7 ounce cans solid white tuna, drained

Tabasco sauce to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Move to a large stainless bowl and place into an ice bath to cook quickly, stirring occasionally. (Takes about 15 minutes). Place 1 cup portions into zip bags and freeze. (Will hold in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but make sure you place it in the coldest part of your refrigerator, and freeze any leftovers promptly.) Serve with assorted crackers, flatbreads or mini pita pockets. Makes approximately one and a half quarts.  

Last year - Stacked Chicken Enchiladas

Two year's ago - Tacos al Pastor

Shrimp Salad with Mango and Orange

After our pig out on the polenta lasagna the other night, I figured I'd best keep dinner a touch lighter last night so decided to change the menu at the last minute and did a quick thaw on some shrimp I had hiding in the freezer.

Considering how quickly this salad goes together, it packs an awful lot of flavor in large part because I roasted the shrimp rather than boiling them. A touch of olive oil, salt and pepper and 5 or 6 minutes in a 400 oven yields perfectly cooked shrimp with incredible flavor. Cooled and married with a little chopped sweet onion and a mayo/sour cream orange tinged dressing, the salad hit the refrigerator for a quick chill although quite honestly for the most flavor it is best served room temperature, especially along with some super cold mango chunks. Incidentally if you can't find mango, fresh, frozen or canned peaches would be wonderful too.

As you can see, we enjoyed our salad along with some crunchy parmesan cheese and sun dried tomato pinwheels made in a flash from Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry sheets. Fabulous little morsels they are!

Shrimp Salad with Mango and Orange (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Ina Garten)

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

Zest of 1 large orange

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups very cold mango chunks

Assorted greens

Wash shrimp and dry very well. Preheat oven to 400. On a sheet pan, toss shrimp with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp is firm to the touch and pink in color. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and move to a plate. Cool till just slightly warm to the touch.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, orange zest and juice, vinegar and sweet onion. Fold in cooled shrimp. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes. To serve, line plates with greens and add very cold mango chunks. Top with shrimp salad.  Serves 2 to 3 as a main course.

A year ago - Make Your Own Canadian Bacon 

Two year's ago - Chile Rellano with Tequila Shrimp

Cajun Shrimp

When you're camping out at home with limited resources, simple food is the order of the day and this method of cooking shrimp is just the ticket. We've posted this here before a couple of times and there's certainly safety when you go with something you know. There's anticipation too because this is just so darn delicious.

The only trouble is - I should have thought about how difficult it would be to de-vein shrimp without the benefit of a working kitchen faucet; however, I got the job done, put the butter, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic and spice sauce together and the oven did the rest. A salad, a good baguette for dipping into all that buttery spicy goodness and dinner was on the table. By the way, be sure to leave the shells on the shrimp because not only are they fun and kinda' messy to eat, but they taste a lot better too.

The guys from Mesa Fully Formed are coming this morning to draw a template for the granite we ordered and we'll be off to the races with a hurry up and wait for a few more weeks before installation. Yesterday was fairly uneventful, thank goodness other than Max becoming a potato thief and Finnigan trying to perfect his bark.

I unpacked and got the cabinets semi organized although I'll be fine tuning and changing things around over the next little while. Of course that'll keep the big guy on his toes finding out where everything is and just when he gets used to looking in one place for his barbecue stuff, string or bacon makin' supplies, I'll have to move it all again to keep him on his toes. I'm kind of a pain that way.

Cajun Shrimp Adapted from Southern Living Magazine, my recipes.com

2 pounds medium or large shrimp, shell & tail on

1 lemon, cut in wedges

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup Worcestershire

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons Old Bay

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Remove veins from shrimp, then rinse shrimp and dry well. Place in pan with lemon wedges and bay leaf on top. Melt butter in small pot. Add ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, old bay, rosemary and dried thyme. Mix well. Pour over shrimp. Bake in 400 oven 20 to 25 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked. Stir half way through cooking period. Recipe may be doubled or tripled as required.

A year ago - Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Mayonnaise

Two year's ago - Margarita Chicken Wings

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Basil and Prosciutto

The thing I love most about Saturdays is 9 times out of 10 I get to share the kitchen with my Big Guy. We're a team, I mean a real mean team machine in the kitchen let me tell ya'. 

Case in point - yesterday's weekly shopping excursion yielded some absolutely gorgeous wild jumbo shrimp so while the Big Guy shelled and de-veined the beauties, I mixed up a marinade of white wine, olive oil, Dijon, fresh basil and lemon juice. While the shrimp marinated for the better part of the afternoon we went our merry ways and reconvened to complete the dinner preps as the sun was setting.

Big Guy wrapped the shrimp in fresh basil leaves and prosciutto then threaded them onto skewer's before grilling them on our little red gas grill supplemented with some maple and apple wood chips that he'd soaked and then wrapped in foil. While he was taking care of that, I whipped up a simple pasta sauced with pine nuts, tomato and garlic breadcrumbs and half an hour and some laughs later, dinner was on the table and we were moaning and groaning about our good fortune. We really are lucky aren't we?

By the way, the shrimp's from one of my favorite "go to" books, The Silver Palate and it's an old favorite from way back when during my single days in Calgary. As for the pasta, we can thank Fine Cooking for its existence. I've listed the shrimp recipe below, but hit the link and head on over to Fine Cooking for the pasta. It's a real keeper and from such simple ingredients - I left out the raisins just so you know.  

Grilled Shrimp with Basil and Prosciutto (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Silver Palate Cookbook)

Marinade:

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined with tails left intact (we used 16-20 shrimp)

Large whole fresh basil leaves

Thin slices of prosciutto

Skewers presoaked in water for minimum 2 hours

Combine wine, oil, lemon juice, mustard, basil and pepper together. Place prepared shrimp into a large zip bag and add marinade. Chill for a minimum 3 hours, turning the bag every once in a while.

Remove shrimp from marinade and discard marinade. Wrap each shrimp with basil, then with a slice of prosciutto. Thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto skewers. Grill shrimp until pink – about 3 minutes a side depending on how hot the grill is. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

 A year ago - Poppers in a Blanket

Two year's ago - Chocolate Chip Cranberry Nut Cookies

Bloody Mary Shrimp Sauce with Lobster Ravioli

This might be one of those times I could stop talking and let the picture speak a thousand words but honestly, why deprive you of my scintillating conversation - right? That said, there certainly wasn't much conversation going on last night when last night's creation hit the plate. Sometimes JBug's antics produce near perfection, if I do say so myself.

Such is the case with this rosy pink shrimp and vodka sauce created to dress some purchased lobster ravioli. I racked my brain all week trying to figure out a sauce to accompany said ravioli from Trader Joe's refrigerator because, while I would have been satisfied with a little browned butter and maybe a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, I knew the Big Guy'd be looking for some "meat". A compromise was in order. 

Remembering a rosy vodka sauce tasted a long, long time ago I simply sauteed some onion and garlic, deglazed the pan with vodka, added marinara sauce, a touch of heavy cream, a dash of cayenne pepper and a little dried tarragon, then finished up with some pretty little bay shrimp that were already cooked and simply needed warming. The result - an incredibly edible celebration worthy dinner that was ready in the time it took to boil the water and cook the pasta. Yup - you got it. Quick and impressive too. Oh, and dare I say modest?  

Now about that pasta; poor you if you're not anywhere near a Trader Joe's so you can take advantage of all the wonderful products they have available. Fortunately our closest TJ's is a mere 6 miles away but if you're not as lucky, simply substitute a spinach ravioli, tortellini or even a plain penne or shell shaped pasta for the lobster ravioli. Of course you could make it yourself. I didn't but I could've although I've already been accused of being much to gourmet for every day. I'm really just trying to keep it real here, ya know? 

Bloody Mary Shrimp Sauce with Lobster Ravioli (an original recipe from JBug’s Kitchen)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

1/3 cup vodka (or white wine)

1 cup marinara sauce

1/2 cup cream

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 ounces cooked bay shrimp, well rinsed and drained

1 – 9 ounce package lobster ravioli, cooked per package directions

Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet until shimmering. Add garlic and onion and cook stirring constantly until onion is transparent. Add vodka and cook until reduced to approximately 2 tablespoons. Add marinara sauce, dried tarragon, and cayenne and black pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer until thickened. Stir in heavy cream and well drained bay shrimp. Heat until shrimp are warmed through. Serve over cooked pasta. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese. Makes 2 to 3 servings.   

A year ago - Cheater Chili 

Two year's ago - Easy Creamy Tortellini Primavera

Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Stew

Last night's shrimp and andouille filled stew has all the flavors of gumbo without the time and frettin' of making a roux. Loaded with the trinity including onion, celery and green pepper, the basics are gumbo's twin - fraternal of course because the addition of white beans takes it into a new realm entirely.

It's low on fuss, fairly moderate in calories and extremely filling which were all requirements after our busy Saturday. And there you have it! It's not very often that I'm at a loss for words at least not in the written form but today's one of those days, so I'll just head right to the recipe and leave you to enjoy your morning coffee.

Creole Flavored Shrimp and Sausage Stew (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1 teaspoon oregano

1-1/2 cups ounce can low salt low fat chicken stock

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 15 ounce can great northern beans

8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Parsley

Hot sauce

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sliced Andouille sausage and cook until browned. Remove from pot and add bell pepper, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, Creole seasoning, cayenne and oregano and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove cover from pan, return Andouille to pot and simmer additional 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Just before serving add great northern beans and shrimp. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes until shrimp are just cooked. Garnish with parsley and pass the hot sauce. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Hoppin' John

Lobster and Shrimp Coquille

Merry Christmas everyone! Here's wishing you a day filled with love and laughter.

It's the crack of dawn on Christmas morning and we've been up for hours and hours. Georgie the cat (the feral wannabe) announced Santa's arrival at 3:30 outside the patio door and Max wanted to check out the happenings at 4:30. There was no talking either one of them out of it. Kids will be kids, whether the 2 legged or 4 legged variety.

While it wasn't exactly peaceful this morning, it was quite the different story with last night's dinner because it was so tasty, there were more groans of delight than there was conversation. Inspired by a traditional Coquille St. Jacques, I lightly sauteed pieces of lobster tail and some gorgeous shrimp in butter then transferred the just barely cooked pieces to a couple of shell shaped gratin dishes called a coquilles. Hey, we can thank the French for the name!

Joined by sauteed onions and quartered mushrooms, each little shell shaped casserole was lapped with a rich sauce - heavy on the butter, cream and more importantly medium dry Amantillado sherry from Spain via Trader Joe's. Hey my friend Lea mentioned Amantillado a while ago and I just had to go get me some. It's absolutely superb and proved there's a lot more to sherry than just old Bristol cream... but I digress.

Topped with some buttered cracker crumbs and a touch of fresh tarragon, the coquilles hit the oven for a grand total of 15 minutes and voila' ... an elegant and delicious dinner more than suitable for a very special Christmas Eve.

Lobster and Shrimp Coquille (a JBug’s Kitchen Antics original)

1/3 cup sweet onion, finely chopped

4 medium sized mushrooms, quartered

3 tablespoons butter, divided

2 – 5 ounce lobster tails

8 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Spray 2 shell shaped casseroles (coquilles) or a gratin dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and sauté until onions are transparent and mushrooms are slightly golden in color. Remove to prepared casseroles. Return sauté pan to heat and melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Using kitchen shears, but down the underside of the lobster tails and remove the meat from the shells. Slice into half inch coins and add to sauté pan. Cook until lobster is just firm to the touch and opaque. Remove to casseroles, splitting evenly between the two. Add shrimp to sauté pan and cook until pink and firm to the touch – approximately 2 minutes. Transfer to casseroles.

Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup half and half

1/3 cup medium dry sherry

Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk together, cooking for about 2 minutes until mixture is bubbly and slightly golden in color. Whisk in cream and half and half and cook until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and stir in sherry. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Pour sauce over seafood in casseroles, splitting evenly between the 2 dishes. (May be prepared up to this point, covered and refrigerated).

Topping:

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

1/2 a sleeve of Ritz crackers

1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Transfer crackers to a small zip bag and crush to fine crumbs. Add butter and mix till well combined. Preheat oven to 425. Cutting a corner from the zip bag, sprinkle crumbs around edges of casserole dishes. Top with fresh tarragon. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crumbs are browned and casseroles are bubbling. (Do not over cook) Serves 2.

 

Cajun Poached Shrimp Linguine

Picture some spicy Cajun flavors rolled into a pasta dish in a creamy sauce and you'll have what our dinner was last night. Unfortunately we were rather unimpressed but as the Big Guy said "they can't all be golden". It doesn't look bad though, does it?

I should have known better because we've tried a pasta dish like this one once before and I was unimpressed then but thought I'd just try another version so I grabbed one from Canada's Dairy Counsel site. Unfortunately it wasn't any better this time around either but that's just personal opinion. It's certainly not that it lacked any of the necessary ingredients - browned coins of andouille sausage, gorgeous 16-20 shrimp as well as tons of garlic and even cayenne pepper. It even had dried thyme in the equation and therein could lie the problem or maybe not.

We thought the dish had a "musty" kind of flavor which could have been due to the new batch of dried thyme I picked up yesterday in the bulk aisle. It smells great though. It could also be that because I love gumbo so much, whenever I see the combination of good andouille sausage and beautiful shrimp, I think they should be combined in a pot of perfect Cajun bliss or topping a bowl of creamy grits.

Regardless, here's the link for the recipe just for posterity and maybe you'll like the results but personally I'll not be making any kind of Cajun linguine in the future - unless I forget and try again, that is. Afterall, I'm kind of stubborn that way.

Oh, one more thing - sorry I'm late with this morning's post but we took the boys to the dog park to run off some energy. Now they're sleeping, the Big Guy's doing all the honey do jobs outside that he's missed during the frantic pace of the the past couple of weeks and I think I might even be able to talk him into harvesting the pomegranates later today, provided it doesn't interfere with our Sunday afternoon nap that is.

A year ago - Baked 4 Cheese Spaghetti

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp a la Mr. B's Bistro

Did you know barbecue shrimp to a New Orleans native doesn't involve a grill or a bag of charcoal? Never mind that unlike another version of Cajun shrimp we've enjoyed here before, this one doesn't have a spec of tomato anywhere in it. My friend Lea is doing the happy dance as we speak! One thing both versions do have in common though is butter and when I say butter I mean butter and lots of it.

Now before you take a look at the picture, I need to make a confession. You'll notice we cleaned the shrimp completely leaving only the tails on and while I wouldn't normally recommend it because the shells hold an incredible amount of flavor and the shrimp although messy, are a lot of fun to eat - we ate dinner in front of the television last night. Had we left the shells on not only would we have required a table, bibs and finger bowls but there would have been butter swinging from the ceiling fan and I'm not nuts about that kind of a cleanup job. There - so now you know why we, actually the Big Guy, peeled and cleaned all the darn shrimp.

I'm not sure there could possibly be a simpler method of preparing something that is so delicious because our fabulous dinner took absolutely no time to cook. Loaded with worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, tons of black pepper, Creole seasoning, garlic, and the aforementioned dairy product, the result is lovely, tasty perfectly wonderful shrimp in a bread dipping sauce par excellance - as in "being the best or truest of a kind; quintessential". (I've recently been accused of using too many fancy words, so there's a definition for ya'.)

By the way, we rather like the other version too so next time we're in the mood for a simple, quick Saturday night dinner with a fabulous bread dippin' sauce, we may just have to make both kinds and hold a NOLA shrimp off ...once our cholesterol levels return to normal that is.

Mr. B’s New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (Adapted from Mr. B’s Bistro)

1-1/2 pounds unpeeled jumbo (16-20) shrimp

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

French bread

Lemons and parsley for garnish

In a large skillet combine shrimp, Worcestershire, lemon juice, black pepper, creole seasoning and garlic and cook over medium high until shrimp just start to turn pink. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in butter, a little at a time. Continue to stir constantly, adding butter slowly. Remove pan from heat and serve shrimp in bowls with sauce poured over top. Garnish with lemon and parsley. Serve with lots of French bread for dipping. Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as appetizer.

A year ago - Magic Banana Caramel Pudding

 

 

 

Thai Shrimp Curry

When you're looking for something to soothe a sore throat, a bowl of hot thai curry will do the trick just perfectly. While we've done several different curries on this site before, this one is of the green curry variety which to my taste is a trifle sweeter and less hot than a red curry.

Simple and very quick to prepare, it includes sliced yellow as well as green onions, diced plum tomatoes and not a smidge of garlic or ginger in a coconut milk/chicken stock broth. Of course you can take or leave the tomatoes and add green or red pepper if you wish, but we found it to be rather lovely just as it is with one exception. We doubled the green curry paste because as you all know we like spicy heat, but you'll note that I've included the minimum quantity in the recipe below.

By the way this is the perfect dish to make when you've got to get dinner on the table in a hurry. Put your pot of rice on to cook first and by the time the rice is ready,  your curry will be too.

Here's a link to some of the other Thai curry dishes we've had here before, if you'd like to check 'em out. Now I apologize for such a short post, but I'm off to bed to hang out with the woofs. I'm suffering through what has become an annual October-itis of some kind and it serves me right too. Afterall, I'd just finished bragging that I rarely get sick anymore. LOL Download Thai Green Shrimp Curry

Thai Green Shrimp Curry (adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 or 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste (or more to taste – I used 4)

1 – 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (I used lite)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup diced plum tomatoes

1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons chicken stock (optional)

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Chopped cilantro

Lime wedges

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened – about 4 minutes. Add green onions and Thai curry paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut milk, chicken broth, fish sauce, sugar and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. If you’d like a thicker sauce, stir in cornstarch. Bring sauce back to a boil, stirring constantly then remove from heat. Add shrimp; stir to incorporate with sauce then cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove cover and serve garnished with cilantro and fresh lime wedges. Serves 4. Recipe may be cut in half.

 Shrimp with Thai Red Curry               Thai Chicken Curry

A year ago - Apple Pear Cake with Hazelnuts and Butterscotch

Roasted Shrimp Salad with Creamy Orange Dressing and Mango

It's been the second hottest August on record in this man's country and we're fading fast under the never ending heat. I know we shouldn't complain because there's a lot of places with worse weather woes than ours. Man, don't you wonder what's happening with the weather patterns?

Whatever the reason for the weirdness, we couldn't find anything wrong with last night's shrimp salad concoction. Inspired by an Ina Garten recipe that I've blogged about before, this one includes orange (in our case some freshly ripe kumquats), along with mango chutney, a touch of curry and store bought mayo along with sweet creamy mango chunks and large roasted shrimp.

If you don't already know, roasting shrimp is my favorite way to prep these guys because it really brings out their flavor and the mere 7 minutes in the oven didn't heat up the kitchen overly much.

Roasted Shrimp Salad with Creamy Orange Dressing and Mango (inspired by Ina Garten)

2 pounds large (12 to 16 count) shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse ground salt and pepper

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 orange

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/3 cup mango chutney (Major Gray’s)

4 fresh kumquats seeds removed (or 1/2 of a small orange with peel intact)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 cup minced red onion

Salt and pepper to taste

10 ounces fresh mango chunks

Bed of mixed greens

Preheat oven to 400. Shell and devein shrimp and place on shallow baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until pink and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile place mango chutney and kumquats or orange along with curry powder into a food chopper and chop very finely. Combine it with mayonnaise, orange juice, vinegar, and red onion in a large bowl.  Fold in roasted shrimp. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Cover bowl and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve on a bed of greens with surrounded by fresh mango chunks.  Serves 4 as a main course. Download Roasted Shrimp Salad with Creamy Orange Dressing and Mango

A year ago - Cuban Style Roast Pork

 

Bizzare Combinations Yield Delicious Results - Crazy Shrimp

Sometimes the most unlikely combinations result in the most delicious inventions and honestly this may just be one of them. I don't know about you but there's usually always two constants in our refrigerator - ketchup and peanut butter, but up until last night I never thought of putting them together. Silly me!

Adapted from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Idaho a la Carte, this bowl called dinner surprised the heck out of us. Sauteed onions and celery joined by fresh tomatoes, lots of red pepper flakes, old bay seasoning and ketchup make up the basis of a sauce for a pound of large shrimp. Finished with crunchy peanut butter and sprinkled with a few roasted peanuts, it was dinner fit for a king, or at least for my King who slaved away in 110 degree heat loading the SUV with all stuff I've been accumlating for the past week. You see, we're leaving for Oregon TODAY!

Served on top of succulent Chinese noodles, our crazy shrimp was perfectly cooked in a rich, spicy sauce. The only thing that could have improved upon the perfection's maybe a touch of fresh ginger and some garlic and perhaps a sprinkle of chopped green onions but this Mother Hubbard's cupboard is lookin' rather bare.

Gotta run cause I've a b'zillion things to do this morning, but please stay tuned because I'll catch up with you on the road. Meanwhile, you might want to pack a few necessary items - like your beach shoes, wind suit and in our case "fleece" because the Oregon coast can be a little cool. Imagine that!

Crazy Shrimp (adapted from Idaho a la cARTe)

1-1/4 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup ketchup

1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup peanut butter

Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan until shimmering. Lower heat to medium low and cook onion and celery until softened. Do not brown. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning and ketchup. Stir well to combine; cover pan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium and add water and peanut butter. Stir until incorporated. Add shrimp, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp have turned pink. Do not overcook. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 4.  Download Crazy Shrimp

Mango and Spicy Shrimp Salad

Summer has arrived in full force in our South Western state making the requirement for "cool" food of the utmost importance. Last night's dinner is a prime example.

Large shrimp spiced with Cajun seasoning and pan fried quickly, topping a salad of mixed greens, sweet onion, crunchy jicama, cucumber and smooth creamy sweet mango cubes all dressed up with a honey chive mayo like dressing.

Another Best of Bridge recipe, it's one I'd never tried before and now I'm wondering just why not. If you're finding mangos to be a little scarce, the salad would be great with peaches or even pineapple. As for the dressing - I'm picturing it slathered on a grilled chicken sandwich or in a chicken salad. It would be superb, simply superb.

By the way, if you're worried about the uncooked egg yolk in the dressing, simply leave it out. It'll taste about the same, just lack a little richness.

Mango and Spicy Shrimp Salad  Adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks – The Rest of the Best

Honey Chive Dressing:

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon liquid honey

1 garlic clove

Pinch of salt

1 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine egg yolk, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic and salt. Whiz until well mixed. With the motor running, gradually add oil until an emulsified and thick. Fold in chives and parsley. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour to blend flavors.

Salad:

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 mangos, peeled and cut into cubes

Juice of 1 fresh lime

1 cup peeled and diced jicama

1/4 English cucumber, cut into strips

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

Mixed lettuce greens

Heat sauté pan over medium high heat. Coat cleaned shrimp with Cajun seasoning. Add oil to pan and when shimmering, add shrimp. Sauté until just cooked – approximately 2 to 3 minutes, turning half way through. Arrange lettuce in a bowl or on individual plates. Top with jicama, cucumber and onion. Toss mango with lime juice and arrange on salad greens. Top with shrimp and pass the Honey Chive dressing. Makes 4 servings. Download Mango and Spicy Shrimp Salad

 

 

Buffalo Shrimp on Lemon Caesar Salad

It has been a month of Sundays since I've constructed a Caesar salad and as for Buffalo Shrimp, well that would be never. Pity really!

Remember when Caesar salad's were all the rage? Not that they're unpopular now, but during the 70's there wasn't a restaurant around that didn't serve it and I admit one of the first things I purchased for my empty apartment was a wooden salad bowl so I could make it.  A staple in my diet during my single days, it's safe to say with all the garlic and anchovies emanating from my pores, it could account for the fact that I stayed single till I was 45.

I thought I'd mastered a fool proof recipe but this lemon version of the salad wins the prize and topped with Buffalo Shrimp - well what can I say except we were wishing I'd cooked more'n a pound of the darn things. Don't be thrown off by the amount of spices in the coating mix - it's quite perfect. You certainly won't need it all so put half in a zip bag and save for later before you bread your shrimp because it would be a great coating for chicken tenders too, that is if you're not a shrimp fan. As for the Caesar salad, you'll notice there isn't an egg to be found and to be honest, you won't even miss it!

Buffalo Shrimp on Lemon Caesar Salad

Shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons creole seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

Oil for frying

Sauce:

4 ounces hot sauce (I used Louisiana Hot Sauce)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons butter

Rinse shrimp under running water and set aside. Combine flour with seasonings and divide in two, placing half in a zip bag for future use. Coat shrimp with remaining dredging mix (reserve what’s left) and place on wire racks over a sheet pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set coating. After 30 minutes, dredge coated shrimp in reserved coating mix. Heat oil in deep skillet and fry shrimp in batches for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook!  Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile combine hot sauce, garlic powder, cayenne and butter in a small saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Whisk sauce to incorporate ingredients. Pour over cooked shrimp and toss to mix well. Serve over prepared salad.

Lemon Caesar Salad (adapted from Sheila Lukins)

3 hearts romaine lettuce, shredded

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Coarse ground black pepper

2 cups croutons (I used homemade from leftover focaccia)

Dressing:

1 tablespoon anchovies rinsed and patted dry

Grated lemon rind from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

Coarse ground black pepper

Using immersion or regular blender, combine anchovies, lemon rind and juice, vinegar and mustard. With motor running slow drizzle in olive oil until mixture thickens and emulsifies. Add pepper to taste. Toss lettuce with dressing. Add parmesan, pepper and croutons and toss again. Top salad with shrimp and serve. Download Buffalo Shrimp on Lemon Caesar

A year ago - Curried Chicken with Cranberries

Minted Shrimp and Mango Summer Rolls

I've mentioned to you before that in Tucson when the mountains turn pink it's time to drink. Well, I have a confession to make. The mountains turned pink quite a while after I poured my first gin and tonic yesterday. It's been quite the week - actually quite the month and I wanted April to end in a rosy glow. The only problem is I was a day ahead of myself so I'm gonna' have to do it all over again tonight. Wouldn't you just know it?

Our usual Friday night "munchie" dinner included delightfully fresh and light summer rolls, quite appropriate for a high 90's day. They're a little challenging to roll but once you get the hang of it, shrimp with eeny weeny rice noodles topped with a julienned slices of cucumber, carrot and green onion all wrapped up nice and cosy in rice paper wrappers are really the essence of summer food. Course we can't forget the fresh mint or beautiful basil from our herb garden now can we.

To balance the lightness of the summer rolls and in deference to the fact that this was all the dinner we were gonna' get our munchie platter also included a pile of pot stickers and some steamed pork buns, both courtesy of Trader Joes' freezer section. I've been known to make both from scratch but that was in the old days before I knew any better. So that's what London Life means about freedom 55! Bonus!

Minted Shrimp and Mango Summer Rolls (adapted from My recipes)

1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise

3 ounces cellophane noodles

12 – 8 inch rice paper wrappers

1 Persian cucumber (small) cut into thin strips

1 carrot, julienned

12 thin strips of green onion

1 fresh mango, peeled and cut into thin strips

12 large fresh basil leaves

24 fresh mint leaves

Pour boiling water over noodles and let soak for 10 minutes or until tender.  Rinse and drain well.

Place a rice paper wrapper in warm water for 30 seconds or until softened and place on a flat surface. Put 3 pieces of shrimp just below the center of the wrapper, cover with basil leaves and mint, followed by some cellophane noodles. Top with a piece of cucumber, carrot, mango and green onion. Fold and tuck the top of the wrapper over noodles, then fold in sides and roll tightly. Place on a moistened paper towel and cover with another moistened towel. Continue until all rice wrappers have been used. Chill, covered with moistened paper towels until serving time. Serve with peanut sauce or hoisin and pass the Sriracha. Makes 12 rolls. Download Minted Shrimp and Mango Summer Rolls

 

 

 

Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Mayonnaise

Last night I finally got with the program and served something for dinner more in keeping with a 90 degree plus day. Adapted from a Food Network recipe, rather than use crab which is priced just slightly less than an ounce of gold in this man's country,  I used tiny little pre-cooked Oregon salad shrimp. Whizzed in the food processor and added to sauteed shallots, garlic and red pepper these moist little cakes are spiced up with lots of Dijon mustard, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.

Bound with a fairly moderate amount of panko crumbs they held together beautifully during their brief foray into the frying pan and were luscious atop a mache' salad with minced sweet onion and little heirloom tomatoes, all dressed up with lemon mayonnaise.

Although we had these puppies for dinner, it would be a perfect lunch for ladies who do that kind of thing along with a glass of crisp Pinot Gris. Serve it to your significant other and they're liable to do hand stands, yell "YUM" and head back for seconds like my Big Guy did...well, he didn't quite manage the hand stands, but he sure did holler a lot. 

Hope you all are enjoying a relaxing Sunday, although I see that some of you are digging out after yet another snow storm. Gosh darn it, I'm not sure where I'd rather be right now. Not to complain - ah heck why not I do it all the time, it is stinkin' hot in this man's country which doesn't bode well in the energy saving department. I had to break down and turn the AC on yesterday. It seems a tad early for that! Download Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Mayo

Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Mayonnaise (inspired by The Neelys at foodnetwork.com)

If the price is right and you’re so inclined you can certainly substitute crab for the shrimp in this recipe but I’m too darn cheap to buy it unless it’s on sale. Do not used canned crab.

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup red pepper

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard (or more if you want it spicier)

Zest from half a lemon

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup plain panko crumbs, divided

1 egg

Hot sauce to taste

1 pound small cooked salad shrimp

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. In a food processor, chop together shallot, garlic and red pepper. Sauté vegetables in butter until they’ve softened – 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Remove from heat and cool.

Meanwhile, add salad shrimp to food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to a large bowl along with cooled vegetables, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, Creole seasoning, chopped parsley, one half cup panko crumbs and egg. Add hot sauce and season with salt and pepper as desired. Combine well. Using a four ounce scoop, form ingredients into a ball, then flatten to approximately a three quarter inch thickness. Coat in remaining panko crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set coating and help the cakes to stick together.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry shrimp cakes till golden brown and crisp – about 4 minutes per side. Serve with Lemon mayonnaise.

Lemon Mayonnaise:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lemon (approx. 3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch cayenne pepper

Cajun Shrimp with Focaccia

"The bread makes the meal". That's what you know who said as we chowed down on focaccia and a pan of yummy spicy buttery Cajun shrimp last night. The Big Guy limited himself to oysters and crayfish (crawfish), tons of both I might add, while he was in New Orleans this past week and requested a big feed of Cajun shrimp for his homecoming dinner last night. One MUST have bread with such a thing so rather than buy a loaf I decided to make it instead.

Whipped up in our trusty KitchenAid stand mixer, it took exactly an hour and a half from start to finish to make this lovely pillowy focaccia. Just before the bread went into the oven I dimpled it up then coated it with olive oil and a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese, dried rosemary and coarse sea salt. The simple flavors went perfectly with our main course and the bread fulfilled its role admirably, the perfect "sopper" to pick up every single drop of the juice from the Cajun shrimp.

"You'll just have to make it more often" sayeth the King, and we all know he's usually right. Next time I'll add caramelized onions, or sun dried tomatoes, or pimento stuffed olives, or garlic to the top depending on what's on the menu but one thing's for certain. I can't wait to make it again.

By the way, in case the picture of the shrimp has your mouth watering, I'm including the recipe as well. We've had them here before but they're one dish well worth repeating. Incredibly quick, easy and tasty just make sure you've tons of napkins on hand because it is definitely finger food. Sure enough does make it easy on the dishwasher.

Focaccia  Adapted from foodnetwork.com

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup very warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

2-1/2 to 3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for topping

Cornmeal as necessary

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Coarse sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer using a dough hook, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top and mix briefly. Let stand for 3 or 4 minutes until the yeast starts to foam. With the mixer on low, slowly add the all purpose flour as well as 1 cup of bread flour. Continue to mix until dough comes together. Meanwhile, mix the salt with a tablespoon of water, stirring until salt is dissolved. Add to bread along with olive oil, and then add remaining flour slowly until the bread leaves the side of the bowl and collects on the dough hook. Continue to mix for approximately 10 minutes until the bread is soft and smooth. If the dough seems too stiff, add a tablespoon of water and continue to mix. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Remove ball of dough to a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size – about 45 minutes. (I heat a two cup measuring cup full of water to a boil in the microwave. Leave the water in the microwave and  place the covered bowl of dough beside it, and put the light on in the microwave. It’s the perfect warm draft free place). 

When dough has doubled in size, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to a rectangular shape about ½ inch thick. Lay it on a parchment covered pan which has been sprinkled with corn meal, cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 400. Uncover the dough, dimple with your fingertips and brush the surface with more olive oil. Dust lightly with rosemary, parmesan cheese and coarse sea salt. Bake on lower rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Cajun Shrimp Adapted from Southern Living Magazine, my recipes.com

2 pounds medium shrimp, shell & tail on

1 lemon, cut in wedges

1 bay leaf

½ cup butter

½ cup ketchup

½ cup Worcestershire

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1-1/2 Tablespoons Old Bay

1 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Rinse shrimp and dry well. Place in pan with lemon wedges and bay leaf on top. Melt butter in small pot. Add ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, old bay, rosemary and dried thyme. Mix well. Pour over shrimp. Bake in 400 oven 20 to 25 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked. Stir half way through cooking period. Recipe may be doubled or tripled as required.

Spicy Shrimp with Andouille on Grits

When you think of Mardi Gras, what do you think of - other than naked women, booze and dancing in the streets that is? I mean some of us wouldn't know what the real thing is because we've never had the opportunity to enjoy it, and that may hold true for last night's dinner too.

Although I have had the joy of noshing on some real Shrimp and Grits from NOLA, and we've posted versions of them before, this recipe was a touch different although very good in its own right. Sauteed onions, garlic, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, shrimp and best of all wonderful spicy andouille sausage on a puddle of grits - what's not to like?

If you want to know the truth, the best part of this dish was the sauce that goes on top - I made it with red hot pepper sauce and it called for green, but you'll never find the green stuff in this house because it's just too benign; however, this "condiment" is so wonderful you might just want to have it on hand to enjoy on other things. I can't imagine how good it will be on our breakfast eggs, or tonight's chicken paillard.

So there you go - last night's dinner in a flash. Now I just want to know one thing. Where the heck's the party?

Spicy Shrimp with Andouille Sausage on Grits (adapted from Bon Appetit via epicurious.com)

Sauce:

1/3 cup red or green hot pepper sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 large shallot, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup heavy cream

Combine pepper sauce, white wine, shallot, lemon juice and rice wine vinegar in a small pot. Boil over medium high heat until sauce is reduced by half – about 10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and set aside.

Shrimp:

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces smoked andouille sausage, sliced

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow pepper, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat till shimmering. Add andouille sausage, peppers, onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add diced tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until very hot. Stir in shrimp, and simmer for 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes or until shrimp finish cooking. Serve on a bed of grits (we had cheesy ones).  Makes 4 servings. Download Spicy Shrimp with Andouille on Grits

 

Shrimp and Scallop Stew with Chorizo and Rouille

Yesterday was some busy! After staying up half the night before then doing a whirl wind clean up job around the house I had to meet the big guy and a friend downtown for lunch, followed by some holiday shopping. Before I knew it the sun was setting and it was time for the dinner bell. Thankfully, while last night's main course involved a rather long title the short of it is that here's a quick and easy recipe for a garlicky flavored delicious kind of seafood soup.

Loaded with spicy chorizo in a tomato clam juice broth, the scallops and shrimp are certainly allowed to shine. The real kicker though is the rouille which is just simply a "zesty garlic and red pepper sauce served with bouillabaisse" that gets stirred into the stew at the last second. Also used as a garnish along with some crusty baguette slices drizzled with olive oil, toasted in the grill pan and finished with coarse sea salt, the whole shebang was ready in less and 40 minutes.

If you're running at warp speed getting ready for the holidays, then give this one a try. It tastes so darn good people are going to start calling you the miracle worker. Honest! Download Shellfish Stew with Chorizo and Rouille

Shellfish Stew with Chorizo and Rouille (adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 pound pork chorizo, crumbled

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups bottled clam juice

1-1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon coarse salt

-----

3/4  pound sea scallops

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

fresh ground black pepper

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chorizo. Cook, stirring often and crumbling sausage until it is browned – about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until the onion has softened – about 5 more minutes.  Add wine and stir pot to loosen browned bits on the bottom – about 30 seconds. Add clam juice, crushed tomatoes, thyme and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving add scallops and shrimp. Return to a simmer, then turn off heat and cover pot. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to cook seafood. Just before serving, stir in half a cup of rouille. Garnish with coarse ground black pepper and a little more rouille. Serve with toasted baguette slices on the side. Serves 4

Red Pepper Rouille

1 baguette

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup bottled roasted red peppers, drained

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Cut a 3 inch piece from the baguette and remove crust. Hold piece of bread under running water to soften, and squeeze water out. Place in food processor along with garlic, mayonnaise, peppers and cayenne. Process until smooth.  

Hint - for a lower carb serving, eliminate the rouille from your portion and serve without bread on the side.

 

Cajun Shrimp

Saturday mornings are supposed to start off slow and lazy aren't they? It was not the case for us yesterday as Max picked 4:30 am to start his watusi dance and by 5 he'd already had a couple of seizures. Needless to say the big guy ended up doing the grocery shopping as I stayed home to nurse a recovering furball.

I should have known better than to ask him to behave at Lee Lee's Supermarket - the absolute best place at our end of town to pick up fresh seafood. Darn it all if he didn't come home with gorgeous shrimp with their heads still intact. Now personally I have an issue with eating shrimp that still have their eyeballs never mind the intestinal tract, so he had his work cut out for him as he cleaned the darn things, but he neglected to tell me he'd left their beady eyes intact.

Eyes or not, a bowl of perfectly cooked spicy gooey shrimp is just too difficult to pass up so we compromised. He removed the heads for me before I chowed down. I know for a fact in the last year and a half I've shared this recipe with you before, but some things require repeating from time to time, and yes this version of Cajun Shrimp is that good. Loaded with butter, lemon, worcestershire, garlic, Old Bay, rosemary and dried thyme the little bottom feeders are roasted quickly in a hot oven and ready to eat in less than 20 minutes.

To enjoy them one need nothing more than a glass of crisp wine, or a cold beer, a loaf of good bread and time. Very messy to eat, they are the epitome of finger licking good!

Cajun Shrimp (adapted from Southern Living Magazine)

2 pounds medium shrimp, de-veined but shell and tail on

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons Old Bay

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Rinse shrimp and dry well. Place in a pan with lemon wedges and bay leaf on top. Melt butter in small pot. Add ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, old bay, rosemary and thyme. Mix well. Pour over shrimp. Bake in 400 oven for 15 to 20 minutes until shrimp are just cooked. Stir half way through cooking period.  Recipe may be doubled or tripled as required. Serve in bowls with crusty bread on the side. Download Cajun Shrimp

 

Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

In all the years we've lived here in hell, I'd yet to try making Red and Green (aka Christmas) Shrimp Enchiladas until last night's version from Taste of the South Magazine. Of course I had to add my special touch to suit our tastes - for example flour tortillas instead of corn and more chipotle in adobo sauce, but darn they're good!

 

Tortillas loaded with sauteed onion, red bell pepper, minced jalapeno and spiced up with chopped chipotles in adobo sauce and creamy sour cream and melted cheese, it's a perfect way to showcase gorgeous fresh perfectly cooked shrimp.

As is my usual habit, I kept asking the big guy how they could be better as in "I like the green sauce better than the red because it has more spice. Don't you?"; or "don't you think they'd be great with Mole instead of enchilada sauce"; or "if you don't take a breath between shoveling bites into your mouth, you're gonna asphyxiate yourself" but I only got one reply back and that was "they're good just as they are." Such is the dinner conversation around our place when food's on the table.

Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas (adapted from Taste of the South Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (or less to taste)

1 pound peeled and de-veined large fresh shrimp

1/2 cup sour cream

8 ounces Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled

8 flour tortillas (6 inch size)

1 – 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 – 10 ounce can green enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add onion, red bell pepper and jalapeno and cook until vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes). Add taco seasoning mix, chipotle and shrimp. Stir to incorporate well, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and crumbled Queso Fresco.  Scoop a generous half cup full down center of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Place seam side down in greased casserole dish. Pour red enchilada sauce over half, and green enchilada sauce over the other half. Sprinkle with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Download Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

 

 

Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

Before you read any farther I've got to tell you last night's dinner was absolutely not to be believed out of this world. I kid you not. Please don't moan, groan and start fanning your taste buds in incendiary anticipation either. Darn it all trust me. It wasn't that hot!

Loaded with beautiful little white shrimp, though I wasn't calling them beautiful during the 45 minutes it took me to shell and clean the little lovelies, this bowl is spiced with red Thai curry paste and sweetened with coconut milk. Served over a bed of rice to soak up all that yummy good stuff, it made for a happy husband last night and we all know that a happy husband means a happy house.  Oh, don't forget to remember to put some lime in your coconut.

 

 

Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

1-1/2 pounds peeled & deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste or more to taste

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 – 14 ounce can light coconut milk

2 tablespoons corn starch (optional)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Fresh limes for garnish

Toasted coconut for garnish

Hot cooked rice

Combine shrimp, ginger and garlic. Heat wok over medium high until smoking. Add sesame oil and shrimp/ginger/garlic mixture. Stir fry for 3 minutes or until shrimp is barely pink. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add bell pepper, curry paste and curry powder to wok. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, coconut milk and corn starch. Add to wok and cook stirring constantly until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Return shrimp to the pan, add cilantro. Cook for 1 more minute, then take off the heat. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes to allow shrimp to finish cooking.  Serve over rice. Garnish with lime and coconut. Download Thai Curried Shrimp with Coconut

Shrimp Salad with Orange and Tarragon

I have a confession to make. The last time I made this for dinner I bragged about the fact that we ate the whole 2 pounds worth of shrimp in one sitting. Well, goes to show how much has changed around here with the two of us working out. When you're counting the calories against the minutes it takes to burn them off on the elliptical, consumption is considerably less as we found out last night. One pound of shrimp in a salad for two is more than enough to fill the void.

This salad is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe and it's a real winner. The beautiful shrimp were on special at Sprouts and they wanted $2.00 more a pound for the cooked versus uncooked variety, so I bought the uncooked ones and roasted them in a 400 oven. It took a mere 6 minutes until these beauties were perfectly done and with a much better flavor than the boiled or steamed version.

Mixed with an orange and tarragon mayonnaise, along with some fresh fruit and a piece of cheese toast, dinner was ready in a flash, the kitchen was cool and cleanup a breeze. What more can one ask for?

 

Shrimp Salad with Orange Tarragon Mayonnaise

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and cleaned

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & pepper

Rinse and dry shrimp well. Sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 oven for 6 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

Mix together the following

1/2 cup light mayo

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1 tablespoon orange juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup chopped sweet onion.

Combine with cooled shrimp and refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes to blend flavors.  Makes 3 servings

Big Beautiful Prawns

Yesterday was a busy day for the beach. We’ve spent so much time relaxing that it’s hard to get motivated to do anything, but we did go to the Flounder for breakfast followed by grocery shopping. After the chores were taken care of we headed out for a long walk on the beach we’ve haunted in the past that’s half way between Waldport and Yachats. As you can see it was coated in a misty shroud which has been the case on the coast the past couple of days.

You see when it’s warm in the valley as it has been, it is usually misty and cloudy on the coast – but cool and after all that’s what we come here for. Personally I love the weather. It’s never boring and absolutely beautiful whether it’s clouded over, covered in fog or basking in sunshine.

It’s amazing how much the coastline changes from year to year. Signs of a very stormy winter are evident as there’s been a significant amount of erosion and the beach as we knew it is just not the same. The big guy and I talk all the time about the merits of having a home right on the ocean or one farther away but with a view and quite honestly he’s winning the argument right now. I’d hate to have a gorgeous place that disappears into the ocean because the cliff it sits on is being undermined and that happens more often than you think in this man’s country.

Anyway after our long walk we headed to Yachats and their annual Lions Club fish fry for lunch followed by a nap in our cozy little abode. As you can see, there’s no shortage of food at the fish fry and the pies are produced by the local ladies and come in every flavor you can imagine. I always have to have a piece of mixed berry and this one had everything you’d wish for in a berry pie including blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and even some rhubarb. The big guy chose a piece of peanut pie that had a filling much like pecan pie but topped in peanuts. He said it tasted just like peanut brittle and enjoyed every crumb.

Dinner last night was later and included a crisp salad along with prawns cooked in garlic, butter and lemon juice served with a little loaf of French bread courtesy of Ray’s Supermarket. Delicious and pleasantly light it was a fitting end to our busy day.

So what’s up today? As I write this, the big guy’s out on another foraging trip. You see there’s a minus tide which means easy access to the sea’s bounty and it’s likely he’ll come home with his quota of clams or even some crab. Plans today include freshening up the cottage and getting ready for some house guests. You see this coming week is our entertaining week – tomorrow the big guy’s hunting partner John arrives for a few days followed by some other Oregon friends who visit every year when we’re on the coast. Needless to say there’s likely to be a lot more cooking going on than there has been the last few weeks so stay tuned.

Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Meatballs on Salad

I have to admit to thinking twice before I put these meatballs on the menu, but I'm just so darn happy I did because they are some tasty little morsels. I mean, what's your first thought when you think of shrimp mixed with pork? Yeah, me too but thankfully I got beyond it.

"Famous for its lively fresh flavors and artfully composed meals, Vietnamese food and cooking is the true 'light cuisine' of Asia. Abundant fresh herbs and greens, delicate soups and stir-fries, and well-seasoned grilled foods served on, or with, rice or noodles..." I had to quote this because I couldn't have said it better myself and I don't know about you, but I've never left a Vietnamese restaurant unhappy. Gee, I'm not sure why I needed to justify the decision to give this recipe a try, but I just did! Oh well!

OK about the meatballs - a half pound each of ground pork and freshly chopped shrimp is combined with napa cabbage, fresh ginger, green onions and a touch of cilantro,and a little panko and it's all bound together with egg white to produce unbelievably flavorful and tender meatballs. As you can see, I served them on top of a salad made up of butter lettuce, radishes, cucumber, carrots, a touch of shredded cabbage (slaw), and some sweet onion all topped with an Asian flavored vinaigrette. A little mint would have been a nice touch too, but I didn't think of it until just this moment. It was a much welcome, light dinner after our excesses over the weekend. Download Pork and Shrimp Meatballs on Salad

If you're not in to salad, these meatballs would be fabulous as the filling in lettuce wraps or on top of a bowl of vermicelli rice noodles mixed with cool veggies like cucumber, carrot and bean sprouts - just like the salad I can't help but order whenever we go to Miss Saigon on Ina for dinner. They would also be great in the Vietnamese sandwich called a banh mi... an Asian take on the classic sub or fabulous as part of an appetizer platter including potstickers, spring rolls and the like.

However you shake it they're mighty good eats.Trust me, give them a try and you won't be disappointed.

Chile Relleno with Tequila Shrimp

I don't know about you but normally when I think about a Chile Relleno there's only one thing that comes to mind and that's a nice big chile stuffed to the gills with cheese, coated in a light batter and deep fried. The cheese oozes out on the plate and the spicy heat of the chile warms the palate. It's crisp and creamy at the same time and oh so fattening. Well that's not the version we had last night.

A chile relleno literally means "stuffed chile" and any chile can be filled with everything from chorizo, to creamy chicken, to chile verde to shrimp, as was the case last night. Adapted from a recipe in John Conley's book, Salsa Brava Cocina, this version loads roasted Poblano chiles with sauteed vegetables including sweet corn, zucchini, sweet onion and red bell pepper along with perfectly cooked shrimp finished with a flash of tequila.

What exactly do I mean by "flash of tequila"? Well, let's just say if I hadn't stood back far enough when the tequila ignited, the eyelashes I'm missing from rubbing my itchy allergy eyes would have been joined by the rest of the hair on my head. Not a good thing so for heavens sake when you do that - step back and don't panic. The fire goes out pretty quickly and I say that with confidence because the microwave which is above the stove is still intact and the flames went far, far above that! LOL

I took this recipe a step farther and created a rich creamy slightly cheesy sauce to go inside the relleno to keep the filling moist. The bonus is that the whole thing can all be prepped in advance then finished under the broiler just before serving, which makes it just about perfect in my books. Download Chile Relleno with Tequila Shrimp

By the way, for those of you that are unfamiliar with chile peppers, poblano chiles are relatively mild in flavor with a meaty texture making them a perfect candidate for stuffing; however, the skin is rather tough and the flavor and texture of the pepper is enhanced when it is roasted and the skin is removed. I've included instructions for performing this little task in the recipe. Don't let it scare you - it's easy and worth the effort.

Also if you're liking the sound of stuffed peppers, check out the others we've enjoyed here in the past.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Green Chiles

  Turkey Stuffed Anaheims

Shrimp with Red Eye Gravy and Grits

You know how sometimes the idea of something is better than the actual - like living in a place that has perpetual summer. You kind of miss the beauty of winter, spring and fall - or maybe it's the change you miss. Or buying that beautiful little vermillion orange MGB, license plate number THL533 and bombing all over Canada with it, convertible top down and shit eatin' grin collecting bug guts and all. Then comes winter; the Triple A guy waits down the block to give you a boost every morning because he knows the call's coming in just after 7:00 bells and when you've finally got the darn car started ya gotta dress like an Eskimo so you don't freeze to death.

Well you'd think I'd learn my lesson, but oh no. History does repeat itself and last night's dinner was a perfect example. You see I got all excited because I found a recipe on line from Mr. B's restaurant in New Orleans. Several years ago the big guy took me with him to a convention there and we ate at Mr. B's as much as we could. I ALWAYS ordered the same thing ...beautiful jumbo Louisiana shrimp, wrapped in crispy almost charred applewood smoked bacon and served on a bed of creamy, rich grits covered in red eye gravy. It was amazing - the memory of it just made my mouth water! Big time.

Well I HAD to cook it for dinner last night. The big guy was on board with the idea and stopped on his way home to get some red pepper jelly and we were off to the races. Grits were cooked, all creamy, shiny and gorgeous. Shrimp wrapped in bacon and smokin' up the house on what had been my nice clean spotless stove. Ingredients for what they called Red Eye Gravy reducing in the pan - cooked shrimp on skewers waiting to be stripped and placed on a pillow of grits ...2 mouths absolutely watering with anticipation.

Well you probably get the picture. Something got lost in the translation between New Orleans and Tucson because it just wasn't that good. In fact, not even good enough to post the link and that's all I got to say about that! Now I'm off to wash the grit and smokey grime from the cupboards AND the kitchen ceiling, AND scrub the plantation shutters, AND re-polish the windows AND clean the stove ...AGAIN! Poopy darn, I say. Actually what I'm really saying is unprintable, but you knew that already didn't you.

Seafood Pie with a Phyllo Crust

The story goes something like this. Take the bounty from the sea as in gorgeous sockeye salmon, all glistening sunset colored  fresh and wonderful; add large, pink and lovely shrimp, perfectly cooked with a little squeaky bite to them, and translucent pearl like bay scallops; cover it with a wine flavored rose' sauce smoothed with a touch of cream; top it with a pillow of crisp, light paper thin golden phyllo pastry... What have you got? An absolute show stopper of an entree' both in taste and appearance.

I'm sure you must all get rather sick of hearing me yank my own chain, but as you'll see if you're a regular visitor, I absolutely thrive on trying new recipes, particularly it seems when the pressure's on and we're entertaining for dinner. That's what I did last night when I was out to impress. Download Seafood Pie with Phyllo Crust

I served the best fruits of the sea, smothered them in a to die for sauce, topped it with the easiest, papery thin pastry there is known in the universe and darn near impressed the heck outa' myself. Good - you bet. Easy - uhhh ya! Perfect dinner party food...you otta' believe it. Served with a frosty glass of cold Pinot Grigio Piave from Villa Sonia (Italy) and a light salad of mixed greens in a creamy dill flavored dressing - oh, man...what a dinner fit for a visiting dignitary.

Unfortunately, there was only one problem...said visiting dignitary's flight was delayed and he ate dinner with the peons in Denver last night, so it was just the big guy and I moaning over this masterpiece. Poor, poor, deprived Larry - you snooze you lose...big time! Guess I'll have to make up for it tonight, huh.

Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp

When the big guy's late getting home and dinner needs to happen fast, Pad Thai fills the bill on all counts. Once all the ingredients are prepped, the cooking part takes a brief 5 or 6 minutes. The key to success is making sure you've everything ready before you start cooking or you'll likely have a disaster on your hands.

This particular version of Pad Thai combines soy sauce with peanut butter and Asian chili paste for heat,  along with a touch of brown sugar for sweet and vinegar for sour. Combined with chicken, shrimp, rice noodles, and a few vegetables the result is light, mildly spicy and crunchy without the heavy sauces that most of us are accustomed to. We loved it and we'd have it again in a heartbeat. Download Pad Thai with Chicken and Shrimp

The noodles are firm; the barely there sauce adds just the right amount of moisture to the dish and the fresh bean sprouts add the perfect crunch. It's not too sweet like some versions are and the combination of cilantro and mint along with fresh lime juice really enhances the flavors. Don't leave any of it out - it just wouldn't be the same...that is unless you absolutely hate cilantro in which case you could replace it with fresh basil.

As for today - well the big guy's buddy Larry's coming to visit for a couple of days so I'll be getting the house ready for company, hauling out the special china and polishing the martini glasses. Kinda' sounds like a party, doesn't it?

Ocean's Bounty - Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp

Monday's can sure be busy can't they? My little Mommy used to call them "blue Monday's", because the weekend's over and a new week's beginning. Actually more than likely it was because Monday was traditionally "wash day" and doing laundry on the farm was not a pretty job back in the day.

Well for us, the only blue thing yesterday was the sky - that is when I took the time to notice later in the day. It was grocery day along with getting caught up after a weekend away, so dinner last night was simple and quick. That meant pasta of course.

When I say quick, I mean quick. By the time the pot of water boiled and the linguine cooked, the garlicky vodka infused sauce filled with shrimp, scallops, tomatoes and a touch of cream was ready and waiting. Download Pasta with Shrimp and Scallops We actually topped our bowls off with more spicy red pepper flakes, and a smidgen of grated asiago cheese. Along with a fresh tossed salad, it was a meal fit for a king! By the bye - the king loved it. How could he not? It was delicious!

Now for you purists that frown about the fact that we had cheese with our seafood...get a grip. I'm going to quote from the forward in John Conley's cookbook Salsa Brava Cocina (the cookbook we picked up on the weekend). He says "...To cook is to express oneself, to feel, explore, and experience that which comes from within, that which came before, and that which lies ahead --to create something that has an existing basis, but to do it not by following rules but rather by following feelings. A recipe is only a thought, a road map with many detours..."

So, how does that grab ya? Yup, I thought so! I couldn't agree more.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika

Dinner last night was quick and easy. After all Friday nights around here usually require something quick and casual as far as dinner is concerned because we're old and usually exhausted at the end of the week. I had picked up some shrimp on sale at Sprouts during last week's market run and since I've a whole bottle of smoked paprika to use up, decided to try this recipe adapted from Bon Appetit. Download Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Smoked Paprika

In my opinion roasted shrimp are far superior in flavor to the boiled variety, particularly shrimp roasted with the shells on. Unfortunately I didn't have that option because the shrimp I'd purchased on sale had already been peeled and cleaned down to the tails but they certainly didn't suffer overly. Just make sure to use a cast iron pan and heat it well before adding the well dried shrimp, otherwise they'll steam instead of roast. Spiced up with garlic, roasted red peppers, olive oil, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and finished with oregano and sherry, these tender little morsels are ready in less than 10 minutes. We had our shrimp with warmed Mediterranean flat bread courtesy of TJ's and a fresh tossed salad. How's that for a quick dinner? Best of all, there's lots left for lunch today. Bonus!

If I make these again, I'll up the garlic quotient and add some of those preserved Meyer lemons I've forgotten are hiding on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator; however, the shrimp were good and tasty with plenty of heat - enough that a little tzatziki or other such cooling agent on the side would be lovely, just to give your palate a break.