Spanish Shrimp with Sunset Orzo

Shrimp is showing up more and more in our weekly menu plan.  I've talked about my new-ness to seafood before, but shrimp has broken through and made themselves a staple in our house.  There's always a bag in the freezer and since they are quick to defrost, they make for great weeknight meals.  I will eat them, but I'm not comfortable enough with them yet to peel and devein them.  I don't like seeing their legs, that still makes me feel weird, so I leave that up to Zach.  ;-)


This meal was a great weeknight meal -- fast and flavorful.  It also made good leftovers for lunches the next day.  I left out the peas since I don't like them, but I did double up on the red pepper, using one large one instead of a small.  I think it would be great with some frozen diced carrots thrown in in place of the peas as well, or frozen corn too.  Both would work well with the 'color scheme' of the dish too, matching the 'sunset' theme.  I loved the use of chorizo in the dish, it gave a nice warm and spicy flavor to each bite.  


I made a few other changes as well, either with the aim of cutting fat/calories or in simplifying the steps/decreasing the dishes needed.  I love Rachael Ray's recipes but man does she use a lot of pots, pans and dishes!  I guess it's because she doesn't have to wash them up herself, and although neither do I (Zach is the main dishwasher in our house), I still cut out steps when I can.  I decreased the chorizo from 1/3 pound to 1/4 pound and also cut out the oil altogether.  I didn't find that that a fatty sausage like chorizo needs oil to brown, as soon as it gets warmed up and cooking it starts rendering fat into the pan, so why start with oil if you don't need to?  I also changed the steeping method for the saffron and chicken broth (why get another pot dirty when the microwave works just as well) and the cooking method for the shrimp (again, why get out another skillet, just throw them in with the veggies!).  I have a feeling this meal will be one more reason for shrimp to keep popping up on our weekly menus!

Spanish Shrimp with Spanish Orzo
serves 4
adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, April 2009

Ingredients:
Salt
8 ounces orzo pasta
2 pinches saffron threads
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the orzo and cook until just al dente. Drain and cover.
• While the water comes to a boil, steep the saffron in the chicken broth.  Pour the chicken broth into a glass measuring up and add the saffron.  Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and let steep until needed.  
• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes. 
• Add the shrimp to the vegetable/chorizo mixture and cook until pink and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Pour the saffron broth over the shrimp, chorizo and vegetables. Add the paprika and cooked orzo and toss for 2 minutes. 
• Serve in bowls, topping with the parsley and lemon juice. 

Coconut Shrimp: Secret Recipe Club

It's time for another Secret Recipe Club post!  This month I was super excited when I started browsing through the blog I was assigned.  I got Savor the Senses, a blog written by Jenny who is a chef at a Morimoto restaurant in Hawaii!  How cool is that!  There were so many great recipes that piqued my interest.  Mahi Mahi in Green Chili Coconut Broth, Mojo Pork and Shrimp Baked Onions are all on my list of recipe ideas for upcoming menus.  And, with cinnamon being one of my favorite spices, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes will certainly show up in my future baking projects -- how cute are they?!?


After narrowing it down to 6 or so options, I left the final choice up to Zach.  He chose the Coconut Shrimp with Curry Dipping Sauce, and boy am I glad he did!  This was a fantastic, easy dinner that was also delicious.  I can't wait to make it again.  The coconut crisped up beautifully and gave a great crunchiness to the shrimp, without having to be fried.  The curry sauce was super, it is definitely spicy, depending on your curry powder and preferences, I would start with half the amount and taste as you go, adding more to meet your personal taste level.  Ours turned out spicy, but I thought it was just right -- a hit of spice complemented the sweetness of the coconut and shrimp and balanced out nicely.  We already want this dish back on the menu, and next time we will probably defrost the shrimp overnight, then peel in the morning and let them sit in the coconut milk all day.  The 30 minute marinating time was a tight fit for a weeknight meal for us, especially since the rest of the dish is fairly labor intensive -- triple coating of the breading layers, so we thought it would be nice to save some time and make it that much easier to get on the table before we are starving.  We served it alongside red pepper couscous and steamed broccoli to turn it into a main course dish instead of an appetizer.

Coconut Shrimp with Curry Dipping Sauce
from Savor the Senses
serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course


Ingredients:


1 lb shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup flour, divided
3 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup flaked coconut, unsweetened
6 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Directions:

• Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and the coconut milk in a bowl.  Stir to coat all shrimp with coconut milk and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.  
• Drain the milk from the shrimp and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  
• Set up three bowls for breading the shrimp -- one with 1/2 cup flour, one with the 3 eggs, beaten and the last bowl with the panko, remaining 1/2 cup flour and coconut mixed together.  Working one at a time, dip the shrimp in the plain flour, then egg wash and finally the coconut and breadcrumb mixture.  Once breaded, arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a sheet pan.  
• Bake shrimp until crispy and the coconut flakes start to turn golden brown, 15-20 minutes.  
• While the shrimp are baking combine the mayo, sour cream, curry powder and cayenne pepper to make the dipping sauce.  

Shrimp and Grits

I'm weird.  It took me a ridiculous amount of time to give seafood (other than canned tuna fish and fish sticks) a 'real' chance.  I think it was our Table 21 adventure at VOLT that really changed my mind.  At his restaurant Bryan Voltaggio serves up 21 courses of amazing food, each one about 3-4 bites.  I went into our dinner there in August of 2008 determined to try everything, and finish everything, even if I didn't love it.  It's only 3 bites, how bad can it be?  I had skate, sea bass, blue crab, foie gras, raw tuna and even lamb that night.  And, while I am still not a fan of lamb, I have changed my mind about seafood.  I now love scallops, most white fishes, tuna tartare and shrimp.  


This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy shrimp lately -- I mean, what dish isn't improved by adding bacon and cheese to the sauce??  The flavors combine to make a great dish with just enough heat.  It's comforting and cheesey and bacony and delicious.  It's easy to make on a weeknight and is quite satisfying.  If you aren't completely sold on shrimp, or seafood, I do encourage you to give this dish a try -- maybe it will help change your mind.

Shrimp and Grits
slightly adapted from CookingLight.com
Serves 4


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided
5 cups water
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese


Directions:

• Combine lemon juice, hot sauce and shrimp; set aside.
• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. 
• Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. 
• Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and 1/4 cup green onions; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in butter and salt. Serve shrimp mixture over grits; sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.

Tilapia with Bacon Tomato Butter

As soon as I had the first bite of this dish in my mouth I thought "Bacon tomato butter -- where have you been all my life??!!??"  It is seriously, seriously good stuff.  The best part (well, besides the bacon since bacon in any dish would clearly be the best part) is that it is made with cherry or grape tomatoes which means it will be easy to make year-round.  I tend to avoid regular full-size tomatoes when they aren't in season since the quality declines so much, but cherry and grape tomatoes are generally good all year round.  They are at their best in late summer, like any tomato, but I think they don't suffer as much over the winter months.  I know many localvore, seasonal eaters would disagree and consider eating any tomatoes in the dead of winter to be non-foodie behavior, but I'm okay with that.  

I found this recipe in an issue of Cooking Light and I really don't know why I waited so long to make it.  Big mistake, huge, big mistake.  I made only one major change, using tilapia instead of mahimahi.  I think mahimahi would be great in this dish, we just had tilapia in the freezer so that's what I used.   I think it would be equally good over grilled or pan-cooked chicken as well.  Really, I mean, let's be honest -- there isn't much that I wouldn't eat bacon tomato butter on.  I also added more bacon than was called for in the original recipe, partly to use up what I had on hand, and partly because when is more bacon ever a bad thing??  I contemplated using the leftover bacon tomato mixture as a filling to a grilled cheese, but there wasn't any leftover.  Maybe next time I'll show some restraint and save some but I'm not making any promises.  ;-)

Tilapia with Bacon Tomato Butter

slightly adapted from Cooking Light, August 2010

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar

4 tilapia filets

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

4 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow baking dish.  Add fish.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Remove fish and pat dry with paper towels. 
• Heat grill.  Season fish with the 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt.  Place fish on grill, cook until done, flipping once, about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
• While the fish is grilling, heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon to pan.  Cook 5 minutes or until almost crisp.  Add garlic and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently.  Add paprika and cook for 30 seconds, continuously stirring.  Add tomatoes and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in butter.
• Serve fish fillets on plate, topping with bacon tomato butter, about 2 tablespoons on each fillet. 

Cilantro Shrimp Scampi

So.... I wrote this back in May but never got around to uploading the picture and posting it.  I am a bad blogger.  But, now that I am on summer vacation and finally home after three weeks of travelling I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule.  Most importantly, I hope to knock out the vast majority of over 40 draft posts I have sitting half-composed, and make major progress on my 30 in 30 list.  I wrote it up back in November, and actually have made quite a few things, but just haven't gotten them posted yet.  I've got just under 4 months to go and at least 30 posts to get up in that time, so watch out for lots of new recipes!!

This is the second recipe I'm posting from my Cookbook of the Month, the Foster Harris House Cookbook.  When I decided to make this the pick for the month, I did what I usually do for my monthly pick, stick post-it notes on the recipes I'd most like to make/highlight in the month's posts.  Then I hand it over to Zach and ask him to pick what he would like.  My choices are like the first round and his are the second round, since he will usually pick one or two of the 10-12 I've chosen.  As soon as I saw this recipe in the book I knew it would make it past Zach's second round.  He loves anything with cilantro, so you don't have to look much further than the name of the recipe to know he's going to pick it. 

This was super easy and quick to put together on a weeknight.  The notes on the recipe in the book say that while most people serve scampi with pasta, they prefer it with basmati rice to soak up the sauce.  We served it with a parmesan orzo and it paired really well together.

Cilantro Shrimp Scampi

from the Foster Harris House Cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound large peeled, deveined shrimp

4 tablespoons minced garlic

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro

6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate with tongs, leaving the oil in the skillet.
• Add garlic, cayenne, wine, lime juice, salt and pepper to the remaining oil.  Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. 
• Add butter to skillet, stir until melted, then add shrimp.  
• Serve on top of pasta or rice, whichever you desire.