Roasted Shrimp with garlic and herbs

This appetizer is a different twist on the classic shrimp cocktail.  It's yummy, trust me.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 cloves garlic finely minced
4 Tbl. of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. dry basil leaves
salt and pepper

Toss the shrimp in the olive oil mixture.  Set in the fridge for about 30 - 60 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  When the shrimp are finished in the marinade, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover and let them come to room temperature.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until they are pink and firm to the touch.  Don't over cook or they will be rubbery.

Remove from the oven and let them cool a bit.  Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce.  Homemade cocktail sauce is good, simply mix ketchup and creamy horseradish.  This can be made a spicy or mild as you like.

Enjoy friends!

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

The tomatoes are beginning to ripen!  I'm thinking Gazpacho.  But this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail has some of the same ingredients -- plus Shrimp.  This recipe is from "Mexican Mania, by Cathy Arkle"

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ⅓ cup lime juice
• ½ small red onion, sliced
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• ½ jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, roasted, skinned and cut into julienne
• 1 tablespoon canned chipotle chile, drained and chopped
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• leaves from 6 cilantro sprigs, chopped
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into ½ inch cubes

Instructions

1. Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Submerge the shrimp in the boiling water for 30 seconds, quickly remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Peel and devein the shrimp.
2. Toss the tomato chunks in coarse salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes.
3. At least 1 hour before serving, toss together the shrimp and the rest of the ingredients except the avocado. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 6 hours until ready to serve.
4. Stir in the avocado and serve.

Tuscan Shrimp with White Beans

This recipe is from Michael Chiarello. I watched him make this on the Food Network.  It looked pretty easy, so I gave it a try a couple of times before doing this post.  This is just delicious!  The ingredients are readily available, you probably have most on hand.  I am lucky right now because I have fresh basil, parsley, tomatoes and hot peppers growing in the garden.

I made a recipe for two tonight (half this recipe), but here's the whole recipe from Michael:

3 Cups Cannelloni white beans
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
16 large shrimp, peeled (tail left on) and deveined
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small jalapeno chili, diced
1 Cup whole basil leaves (no substitutions)
1 Cup peeled, seeded, diced fresh tomato
1 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzilng

1)  Have you tried or ever made fried basil?  This is so amazing!  Toss the whole basil leaves in some warm olive oil.  When it's crispy and crackling, take it out of the oil--quickly!  Also, please stand back, the basil will pop!

2)  Drain the white beans over a bowl, saving the liquid.  Put the beans in a skillet adding just enough of their liquid to moisten them.  Add 2 Tbl. of the olive oil and bring the beans to a simmer.  Keep them warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.

3) Heat 1/4 Cup oil in a large skillet.  Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper cook for 1 minute, tossing frequently.  Remove the shrimp to a bowl.  Add the garlic to the pan and saute, add the minced jalapeno, cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomato, stir briefly, add the shrimp and lemon juice.  Here are the individual ingredients before tossing together.

4) Spoon the white beans on a platter or individual plates, drizzle with the best olive oil you have, top with the shrimp/tomato mixture, place fried basil on the side -- to eat of course!

This is fresh, delicious, healthy, etc. etc.  Enjoy friends!

Angry Shrimp with Garlic, Chili, Basil Oil

Hungry for a different way to have shrimp?  Different than the standard Shrimp Cocktail?  

Here's the recipe that will become one of your favorites, like it is ours!

First make a spicy mixture of flour, red pepper flakes, and chipotle chili pepper, salt & pepper.  Dredge the cooked, deveined, thawed shrimp in the flour mixture.

 Leave the tails on so you will have a little "handle"

Finely mince some garlic and chili pepper.  About a tablespoon of each.  

You will also need a tablespoon of dried minced basil.

Warm some olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the shrimp.  

Don't move it around,it needs to get crispy.

Flip 'em over and crisp the other side.

Drain the shrimp on a paper towel.  Add the garlic, chili, and basil to the remaining oil in the skillet.

Swish it around until the garlic is kinda soft.

Pool the garlic, chili, basil oil on a serving plate,

arrange the shrimp on top.

Alternately, you can drizzle the oil over the shrimp.

Tonight I served the shrimp with toasted garlic sourdough bread.

Enjoy friends!

Appetizer Tray

Here's an appetizer tray I made up to have later this afternoon.  

Sharp Cheddar Cheese & savory crackers, Mini Caprese Salad, 

and Shrimp Shooters with spicy cocktail sauce.

Close up of the Shrimp Shooter

Rub a lime wedge around the edge of the glass,

dip in coarse sea salt--kinda "margarita like"

Close up of the Mini Caprese Salad

Grape tomato, fresh basil leaf, buffalo mozzerella,

drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Close up of Cheddar bites

Serve with a cold beverage.  Iced green tea, or cold beer.

Enjoy friends.

Jambalaya

I do not profess to be familiar with Cajun cooking, but this is easy and really good! We like the combination of chicken, smoked sausage, and shrimp.  Other variations add smoked ham in place of the shrimp.  Use the ones you like or have on hand.  Brown rice is not typical for Jambalaya, but it does work.  This recipe is for two hungry people.

Gather up the ingredients and let's get cooking!

1 smoked chicken sausage 1/4" slices

1 skinless boneless chicken breast cubed

4 large shrimp ("shrimps" if you are cajun :)

2 tsp. creole seasoning

1 C chopped onion

1 C chopped green pepper

1 C sliced celery

1 8oz can tomatoes

1/2 C chicken broth

1 C pre-cooked brown rice

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet.  

Add the cubed chicken and cook until the pink disappears.

Add the smoked chicken sausage, stir and cook until the sausage is browned.

Note:  don't add the shrimp until later in the recipe,

otherwise it overcooks--not good.

Now add the onion, green pepper, celery, and creole seasoning.

Stir this up and cook until the veg are almost tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes, mix it all up.

Add the brown rice.

Add the shrimp and 1/2 cup chicken broth, bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Time to serve up the Jambalaya!

yum, Yum, and YUM.  

This is a meal on its own, but serve with a slice of crusty baguette if you like.

Enjoy friends!