Shrimp Milanese with Lemon Cream Sauce

After looking at my credit and debit card history, and the amount of food in my kitchen/fridge I have determined that I spend way too much money on groceries for 1 person! So the idea is I will buy only fresh items like veggies or milk that complete recipes that can be made from ingredients that I already have. Sounds good, right? Of course, the first recipes will definitely be the easiest..let's see how this works 3 weeks from now! My first idea: shrimp that has been in my freezer for...um...a while, Parmesan , frozen spinach and zucchini I got at Trader Joe' last week. The recipe: Parmesan-crusted shrimp over pasta with a creamy lemon sauce, and some vegetables thrown in for good measure (and better nutrition).

For Lemon Cream Pasta:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and drained in colander over sink
2 small zucchini, sliced horizonally into thin slices
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 box cooked pasta-linguine, angel hair, tagliatelle, fettuccine...

For Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp:
1 lb large shrimp, deveined & shells removed

1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sprinkle of dried basil and dried parsley
2 tablespoons butter

To Make Lemon Cream Pasta:
Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes, turning heat down to medium after adding, and stirring often to ensure they do not stick to pan and burn.

Add zucchini and saute for a minute on each side. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest and chicken stock. Whisk together and allow it to come to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer about 15 minutes; it should thicken up a bit at this point.

Add the spinach (squeeze beforehand to ensure excess liquid does not enter pasta sauce) and cook in the sauce for a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and pour sauce over cooked pasta.

To Make Parmesan-Crusted Shrimp:
Mix together cheese, bread crumbs, and spices over large plate. Coat shrimp with mixture.

Melt 1/2 butter in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side, they should be golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Melt remaining butter and cook remaining shrimp.

Serve shrimp over lemon cream past~voila! And I didn't have to buy any ingredients to make it either...free dinner always tastes better!

What ingredients have been hanging around your kitchen for too long? Maybe with a little freezer burn, stale nature or been on the shelf and will expire if you don't use it in the next month of two...let me know your ideas! (I just may use them with my bajillion items chilling in my kitchen-pun intended)

Buffalo Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip

While perusing Epicurious's new recipes, I came across a recipe for buffalo shrimp. Those who know me might have noticed my particular love for buffalo chicken fingers, blue cheese and a cold beer-with grilled shrimp, it is just a smidgen healthier for you! (Not healthy, but healthier...)

I've adapted this based upon ingredients available local grocery store (hello, Duluth, MN) and my lack of remembering to bring a grocery list.

1 lb de-veined, shelled shrimp (leave last part of shell on tail)
1/3 cup Frank's buffalo hot sauce
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream (I always use full fat, because it tastes richer, but feel free to substitute lower fat or 1/2 plain yogurt and 1/2 sour cream)
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 chives, minced

Mix together blue cheese, sour cream, milk, lemon juice and chives. Add and pepper to taste.

Lightly salt and pepper shrimp and drizzle with olive oil.

Heat grill to medium-high heat (or use a George Foreman grill if it's raining, like I did).

Whisk together melted butter and buffalo sauce, pour into medium sized bowl.

Grill shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until pink and firm.

Toss shrimp in buffalo sauce.

Serve with blue cheese and your favorite vegetables.

Black Bean, Red Bell Pepper and Shrimp Stew

This is pretty similar to my vegan black beans and rice recipe. In this version, I add red bell pepper, corn and shrimp to the beans, creating a healthy Caribbean stew served with white rice that is a bit lighter than its beans-only version. (Photos will be posted tonight!) Other fun option would be the addition of sweet plantains or chorizo to the black bean soup.

Ingredients:

1 1 lb bag dried black beans
4 cups chicken stock
2 onions, diced
1 head garlic, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup frozen corn
1 lb large shrimp, de-veined and peeled
4 cups cooked white rice
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 avocados

Rinse beans very well in cold water and let drain. Put in large stew pot and cover with water, so that there is about 3 inches of water above beans. Let beans soak overnight or 8 hours.

Drain beans and rinse well and drain again. (For some reason, the rinsing gets rid of most of the substance that gives people indigestion).

Heat olive oil in stew pot over medium high heat. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Turn heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until vegetables have softened.

Add tomato paste, spices, and vinegar and cook 3 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Turn beans down to soft boil and cook 3-4 hours, or until they are almost soft enough to eat.

Stir in frozen corn, and bring to a soft boil. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink.

Scoop white rice onto plates. Ladle soup over rice. Serve with sliced avocado and lime wedges.

Shrimp, Red Pepper and Basil Pasta with Charred Zucchini

1 recipe Easy Red Pepper and Basil Pasta Sauce, a little fresh basil and parmesan cheese reserved for garnish
2 zucchini
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, de-veined and tails removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lb linguine pasta

Prepare pasta sauce according to directions. (This may be prepared the day before serving).

Marinate shrimp in 1 tablespoon olive oil, white wine, crushed red pepper and garlic.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat large pot of salted water on high heat.

Wash zucchini. Slice in half lengthwise and cut each half into 4 chunks. Toss in 2 tablespoon olive oil and cook in oven 15 minutes, turning once. Turn oven to broil and cook about 5 minutes until vegetables are just beginning to char. When this happens, remove from oven.

While zucchini are roasting, boil linguine until al dente. Drain, and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

At the same time that pasta and zucchini are cooking, heat up large saute pan over medium high heat. Cook shrimp for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they turn pink. Remove from heat.

Heat up pasta sauce until simmering. Toss noodles in pasta sauce.

Place pasta with sauce onto 4 large dinner plates. Divide charred zucchini amongst plates and top with cooked shrimp.

Garnish with reserved fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Chipotle Shrimp and Cilantro-Avocado Cream Quesadillas

To make 4 quesadillas:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 can black beans, rinsed well with water and drained
3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 avocado, peeled, pit removed and cut into small chunks
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tomato, diced
8 large flour tortillas

Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Add shrimp and mix to coat with spices.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saute pan. Add shrimp and cook 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side, until pink and cooked through. Remove from heat and let oil drain on paper towel. Cut each shrimp into 4 pieces

Mash together sour cream, cream cheese, lime juice and avocado. Mix in cilantro.

Preheat oven to 350 (or heat grill if preferable).

Divide shrimp into 4 portions. Spread each portion over 1 quesadilla. Top each with 1/4 of the black beans and avocado cilantro cream. Top with another tortilla.

Bake or grill until golden. Slice each into 6 pieces and top with diced tomatoes.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: One If On Land, Two If In The Sea; Eating My Way Up The Food Chain in Boston

My first introduction to seafood was working as a waitress in Faneuil Hall. I was 20, a vegetarian, and slightly traumatized by the experience of eating anything with tentacles-i thought they belonged in scary stories, definitely NOT in my stomach! However, upon eating fried calamari with spicy peppers and a lemon garlic aioli, I was surprised to find that I in fact loved the flavor (although, to be honest, you can fry just about anything, and I will think it tastes yummy). 6 years has passed since then, and I will eat all creatures, great and small : )

For my Foodbuzz 24-24-24 May event, I decided to eat my way up the food chain in Boston, stopping at historical as well as contemporary seafood restaurants. All sea creatures rely on other sea creatures for food to survive. At the bottom of the food chain are the sea plants and plankton. Many types of fish and animals such as the snail, shrimp, jellyfish, and sea star eat the plankton. The small animals and fish who eat plankton then become food for larger crustaceans, such as lobster or fish such as tuna or mackeral. Octopus prey on lobster (try searching for these oceanic show-downs on you-tube, it is great fun, I promise you!) These fish are then eaten by larger fish and animals, such as the shark and dolphin.

I set out upon this odyssey with my boyfriend. Our first stop was Skipjack's Seafood Restaurant located near the Copley Church. We shared a sesame-seaweed salad with salmon roe. I had a Sapporo-a delicious if not extremely large Japanese beer.

Haymarket occurs every Friday and Saturday between Faneuil Hall and the North End, Boston's Little Italy. For 1 dollar, you could purchase clams on the half shell in the market. Fresh vegetables, fruits, seafood and meats can be found for great prices. I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to eating raw fish...more so when it's sold on the street, but others were slurping away, enjoying their clams and then tossing the shells into a bucket next to the stand.

Our next stop was at Union Oyster House, America's oldest restaurant. It opened in 1826 and served many famous Bostonians, such as Daniel Webster, as stated in the sign below.

Our seafood platter was comprised of oysters, shrimp and clams, slightly higher on the totem pole than roe and seaweed. Horseradish, lemon and cocktail sauce were served alongside. Sitting at the oyster bar is a very no-nonsense experience, full of the famous Boston charm...I say this with a wry grin. Bostonians are known for being less-than-friendly, but once you get to know them, most are incredibly generous-you just have to get through the tough, protective exterior (much like the oysters our servers were shucking) before you can truly appreciate their personalities.

For local oyster lovers, the ninth annual Wellfleet OysterFest takes place the weekend after Columbus Day in Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Mass. This two-day street party celebrates the town's famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions and brings together locals and visitors alike for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun. More information can be found at:

http://www.wellfleetoysterfest.org/

Our next stop was at Ned Devine's, an Irish restaurant in Faneuil Hall. Ned Devine's serves consistently good pub fare and local seafood. We shared a lobster roll BLT...it was my first lobster salad (I am ashamed to say) and is a classic Boston sandwich, chunks of lobster meat, mayo, perhaps some mustard or lemon. Served with lettuce, tomato and crispy bacon kicked it up a notch, adding texture and flavor.

Our last stop was at Tapeo Restaurant, a Spanish tapas spot on Newbury Street. There we ordered octopus, served in a fiery paprika and olive oil sauce. Although it appears small on the plate, the octopus can take out more sea creatures that it'd care to admit (if it could speak). On the plate, the meat was tender, not chewy and a light ending to our many meals.

At the top of the seafood chain is the shark. And who eats the shark? Apparently not us that night! Try as we might, shark evaded us that evening. Perhaps due to overfishing, perhaps due to its intelligence and fierce teeth, we may never know the reason that shark was lacking on every menu Saturday night. Having had mako shark in Chile, I assure you, it is delicious! And, really, I have no qualms about eating any creature that also could make a meal out of me. Look out sharks! Next time you shall not be so lucky. Rather you will be sauteed and served with a lovely sauce, perhaps a spicy razor clam sauce, a la Santiago. I will find you, and I will eat you.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

This is a salad in the same way one can eat chicken salad. My friend and coworker brought in a very similar Chilean avocado salad for lunch one day; this is my version of her dish. Not terribly full of roughage but still very pretty and healthy and tasty! Avocado are high in lutein and beta carotene (good for eye health, especially for all of us who stare at a computer screen for hours), and have "healthy fats." Shrimp are a protein powerhouse, high in omega-3s, low in fat and have "good" cholesterol (the kind that takes bad cholesterol from cells to the liver and out of the body) and (What more can you really ask for?). And let's face it, avocado and shrimp are two of my favorite foods at the moment.

Ingredients:
2 avocados, ripe but still firm to the touch
1/2 lb medium de-veined cooked shrimp, with heads & tails removed
1 lemon
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tablespoons mayo (okay, this is not good for you, but is a vital part of the yummy-ness)
Salt
Pepper

Wash avocados and slice in half vertically. Remove pits and peels from both avocados.

Wash cilantro and let dry. Mince cilantro and mix with mayo. Juice lemon and mix into mayo mixture (lazy woman's aioli).

Chop up shrimp into quarters. Mix shrimp into aioli.

Place avocado halves onto 4 plates, pit-side up. Scoop shrimp salad equally into avocado halves. Salt and pepper to taste.

This is a great summer alternative to a typical salad.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fra diavolo sauce, Italian for "brother devil," is usually tomato-based and always spicy. It's often served with a lobster tail or other shellfish. Here I prepare it with sauteed shrimp.



Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I like Delmonte or Contadina)
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb linguine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and turn heat to medium. Saute 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent being careful that garlic does not brown.

Add tomatoes and white wine and turn heat up to medium high until mixture is bubbling. Turn to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.

After adding tomatoes and wine, heat up large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add linguine and stir to prevent noodles from sticking together. Cook according to instructions.

In separate saute pan, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into tomato sauce and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil.

After pasta has been drained, toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Mix in shrimp-tomato mixture and plate fra diavolo. Grind a little black pepper over each plate and salt to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Peanut Noodles with Shrimp and Mango

After work I set out on the mission of finding rice paper to make summer rolls. I had a recipe in mind, presentation all set...and no rice paper! (D@mn you Shaw's, Foodmaster and Trader Joe's!). Disappointed but not defeated, I had to alter my recipe a bit...rice noodles in place of rice paper...and the plum dipping sauce was out, peanut was in.

Salad Ingredients:

1 pack wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped mango
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1 lb cooked shrimp, peeled, de-veined and de-tailed
2 green onions (about 1/2 cup chopped), cut horizontally
1/3 cup diced cilantro
1/4 cup crushed roasted peanuts
1 lime

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix peanut butter with coconut milk in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar and crushed red pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook about 5-10 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly, stirring to prevent the sauce from burning. Remove from heat. (Add more spice according to your personal preferences!)

Heat up a large pot of water. Add rice noodles to boiling water and cook according to instructions. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Toss noodles in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Toss cold noodles with 1/2 cup sauce. Add more until noodles are thinly coated with peanut sauce. Add shrimp, mango and cucumber and toss salad. Squeeze lime over salad. Top with cilantro, green onions and crushed peanuts.

Gambas en Gabardina (Jumbo Shrimp in Saffron Batter)

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined, washed and butterflied
1 egg
4 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
A few saffron threads
1/2 cup flour.
Oil for frying.

Whisk together egg, water, salt, baking soda and saffron. Add in flour, whisking until mixture resembles pancake batter. Let rest 1 hour.

Heat up oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Test oil heat by dropping a little batter to ensure it fries upon hitting oil.

Dip shrimp in batter. Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve with Mojo de Cilantro

Coconut Shrimp with Tamarind-Mango Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
2 mangos, peeled and coarsely chopped (or 2 1/2 frozen mango chunks, defrosted)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (not pulp)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 pound large raw tail on shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hot chili oil
2 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 400.

Place the mangoes, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tamarind paste, oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic in a blender. Puree until smooth. , cover and refrigerate.

Rinse shrimp and dry with paper towels.

Stir together honey, soy sauce and chili oil in bowl. Pour coconut into another bowl. Dip shrimp in mixture then roll in coconut, applying pressure so that it covers shrimp completely.

Bake on non-stick baking sheet for 6 to 8 minutes or until shrimp is firm and coconut is golden brown.

Serve mango sauce on the side for dipping.