Garlic Soup with Shrimp December 7, 2010

Holy Crap! 3 blog posts in 4 days?? What is going on??

I TOLD you guys once I got my groove back you’d see a lot more of me again. Here I am! Thanks for being patient with me. Hopefully I can keep up the mood I’ve been in and the desire to cook.

I’ve been on a HUGE Asian food kick lately, ESPECIALLY Japanese. Once I discovered sushi, it was all over. However, my addiction is expensive, and I cannot go out EVERY night. So, I must learn to make some things at home. I love Japanese-style soups, which I think I mentioned before when I made my ramen knockoff.

I’m not sure if this was originally an Asian-style soup but that’s what it felt like to me. The original recipe tells you to toast french bread and pour the soup over it, but I’ve never been a big fan of soggy bread in my broth (ie French Onion Soup). So I left that out, and poured it over ramen noodles instead. I think adding instant Udon to the broth when it’s simmering would be amazing as well. Just don’t add the shrimp until the noodles are almost done cooking.

Garlic Soup with Shrimp
Adapted from Serious Eats

1/4 cup EVOO
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
4 cups chicken stock or shrimp stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Sriracha sauce, to taste
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Pour oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, flipping often, for about 10 minutes. Watch the heat, as garlic burns easily.

Add the stock, cumin, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha. If using Udon or Ramen, add the noodles as well. When noodles are almost finished, add in the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2-3 minutes.

*****This makes about 4 cups. I kept one more bowl for lunch tomorrow, and froze the other two cups in individual freezer bags for later.

Broiled Pineapple Shrimp September 14, 2010

I have had really good intentions this week. Both yesterday AND today I have wanted to exercise. All day at work I sit in my cubicle, looking forward to being able to get home and walk outside. It’s been beautiful out!

However, neither day has worked out. Yesterday, I got home and was ambushed by a stupid sales person from Unique Home Solutions. I’m totally calling them out because the whole experience left a really bad taste in my mouth. The sales lady was on my porch when I got home, talking to J. Actually, when I pulled up, it looked like J was on the phone and this random chick was on my porch. Turns out, she was going door to door to schedule free estimates, and J was on her phone with the office scheduling an appointment. However, because I walked up at that point, they had to talk to me too, and let me know that the appointment was Wednesday at 6. The person on the phone, Stephanie, repeated three times, “Now, you ARE going to be there on Wednesday right? Because you know, we are making a special trip for this appointment just for you.” Completely obnoxious. THEN she told me, “Now, I need you, while I’m on the phone, I need to hear you tell J that the appointment is Wednesday at 6, so he does not miss it either.” I should have said no at that point. Seriously, I don’t want this appointment that you are shoving down my throat anyway, now you’re going to treat ME like the idiot? Anyway, we hung up, and Missy, the door to door person, told us that the office would be calling me back on my phone in a few minutes to go over more details. WHAT? What other details do I need to know that you can’t tell me right now? She left, and I ended up missing the call because my phone was still on silent for work. So I called the company back, and at this point, I just wanted to cancel the appointment. I was so irritated by this whole thing, I did not want them anywhere near my house again. I told the receptionist that answered the phone that I wanted to just cancel the appointment, “Oh no, you have to talk to Anthony, he’s actually the person who called.” Seriously lady, I just want you to take me off your schedule. But of course, Anthony was on the phone with another customer. She said he’ll call me back, but he never did. Whatever. If they show up, they are not coming in this house.

Anyway, after that whole episode, my work out mojo was ruined.

Then today, it took me 45 minutes to go 3 miles. It took me 2 hours to get home! So yeah, no exercising today either. Plus, someone shut all my windows and didn’t turn the AC back on. So it’s a million degrees in here.

Am I bitching too much? Maybe.

I did manage to cook last night. This was a very easy dish to throw together, definitely one I’ll keep in my repertoire. You can play with the spices, and the veggies. Mix it up!

Broiled Pineapple Shrimp
Adapted from DoughMessTic

16 oz shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 1/2 Tbsp Old Bay
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 lb sugar snap peas
1 can cubed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp cubed butter

Mix all of the ingredients together to coat with spice and sugar. Wrap mixture in heavy duty foil, to form a packet.

Place under broiler in oven for 10-15 minutes, until shrimp is pink.

We just ate this with our fingers in front of the TV (classy, eh?), but it would be good over rice to make more of a meal out of it.

Baked Shrimp Scampi June 21, 2010

Today was a completely different Monday from what I’m used to. I think I’m really going to like my job. Don’t get me wrong, it’s going to be stressful–there is a LOT of information to know all at once. Where to find what at a certain time on a certain call. 5-6 different software programs to navigate while trying to converse with a customer. It’s not going to be easy. But, as I’ve been saying all day, at least it’s not poop!

You know what I realized today? At 4:30, my day is over. Yes, I have an hour commute home, but I don’t have to spend that whole time on the phone trying to fix a work problem. Because of certain securities, it is actually AGAINST THE RULES for me to take work home! I won’t ever have to be on call at 3 in the morning during an ice storm. I not only get holidays off work, but I even get July 5 off because the 4th is a Sunday! It’s a big change, and hard to wrap my mind around sometimes. I loved my old job…some of most of the time. But I can have a life! It’s so nice.

Take this meal that I have been telling you about, for instance. I planned it on the way home, and fully executed the whole thing without having to worry about who was on call or what techs were still out. Would I have to talk to a customer when I was elbow deep in shrimp? NO! It’s just a job that fits my lifestyle so much better. Love it!

Now, on with the recipe I’ve been making you drool over anxiously! This was REALLY good stuff. I think next time I will leave out the panko, as it got soggy after a while. You might have a little more liquid than you need that way, but serve it over linguine and you should have an awesome wine sauce! Yum!

Baked Shrimp Scampi

From Milk & Honey

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp dry white wine
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
handful fresh parsley & rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko

Preheat oven to 425.

In large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, wine, salt, & pepper. Set aside at room temp. while you make butter/garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash butter with garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper, lemon zest & juice, egg yolk, panko, salt & pepper until combined.

Line 14 inch oval gratin dish with shrimp in a spiral pattern (or like me, realize halfway through, that although your shrimp were deveined, they were not peeled, so instead of redoing the spiral, toss shrimp haphazardly into the bowl). Pour remaining marinade over shrimp. Spread butter/garlic mixture evenly over shrimp.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until bubbling. If using panko, brown under broiler for 1 minute.

Tom Rim (Caramel Shrimp) April 27, 2010

I had to get up this morning and go into town to pick up a prescription. When I got home, I decided to bring my computer back into my office and set it up at my desk, instead of continuing the cycle of hanging around in bed all day. Every day I mean to get up and do laundry, dishes, etc. and every day I think, “One more episode of No Reservations, then I’ll get up.” Next thing I know it’s 6 pm. I’ve gotten a few things done, but not NEAR what I should be doing for being home all day every day.

If I keep my computer in here, and make myself get up in the mornings, I’ll make myself be productive. I always have some kind of project going on, and I need to get this house in shape. I will NOT be a worthless piece of crap anymore.

Part of that promise is that I am going to try to cook at least 4 days a week. I am home all day, there is no reason I can’t cook a meal. I say 4 days because some of it depends on J’s random work schedule. It’s Tuesday, and I’ve already cooked two great, filling meals. Ok, so Macaroni and Cheese isn’t the HEALTHIEST thing ever, but it’s better than buying McDonald’s, right?

Tonight’s dinner was really yummy, but VERY spicy. This one was a little out of my comfort zone. I don’t make a lot of Asian dishes–I don’t know why I’m so intimidated by them. *shrugs* I’m with that about ethnic cuisines. I have it in my head that I don’t have the gene pool to create such wonders. I’ll never know if I don’t try right? I’ll never be a sushi master, but I can do a stir fry now and then. You may see more of these around here as I get more creative.

This dish packs a ton of heat!

Tom Rim

Adapted from Closet Cooking

2 Tbsp sugar (I used brown because I’m out of white, but it made judging the caramelization process difficult.)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 Habanero, minced
1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
Pepper to taste
1 tsp sesame oil

Heat sugar and 1/4 cup water in pan on medium high heat until caramelized and turns dark brown (see why this would be hard with brown sugar?).

Add water and heat until caramel dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, ginger, and Habanero. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until garlic is soft.

Add shrimp, 2 Tbsp of sauce, and pepper. Cook until shrimp is pink all over, only about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

Serve over rice.

Shrimp and Bacon Pasta April 7, 2010

The nice thing about working for a plumbing company is whenever I have a drain problem, I have a plethora of guys who are more than happy to help out if I will feed them. The latest culprit was the wookie living in my tub drain. Let’s face it, I have a lot of hair. And when it gets wet, it falls out. J. doesn’t understand that it’s just a fact of life! We have a new young tech who lives on his own, and eats a lot of pizza. I bribed him with some real food in return for a clean tub! I’d say we both were happy tonight 🙂 Thanks bud!

Sorry for the bad picture, I was in a hurry to get it to the table.

Shrimp and Bacon Pasta

Adapted from Taste and Tell

1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 yellow onion, diced
28 oz can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 lb raw shrimp
4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 lb pasta

Boil water. Salt, and add pasta.

In large skillet, cook bacon until crisp and brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Pour off most fat (keep about 1/4 cup).

Add onion and cook over medium heat until softened. Stir in tomatoes, then crumble in bacon. Season and simmer about 7 minutes. Add shrimp. Cook 3 more minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Add pasta water if sauce is too thick. Serve over pasta.

Baked Shrimp Curry March 21, 2010

Until I moved to Muncie, I had never had Thai food. Back in Bluffton, all we had was Chinese and Mexican. Boy was I missing out! The spices combine to create a completely different heat and flavor at the back of your throat. Mmmmm. We have a terrific Thai place here called Thai Smile. My mom and sister, K., now have to try every Thai restaurant that pops up in their area, trying desperately to find one as good. So far they are unsuccessful. Because of this, often they will come down to Muncie for a quick dinner–great for me, a free meal, and time with my family!

Mom and sister, E., are in Florida for Spring Break, so Dad and K swung down yesterday for some Thai. Panang curry….mmmmmmmmmm…..need I say more???

I still have the curry craving, and I had some shrimp in the freezer, so I thought I’d try out this recipe. It was excellent, easy and quick to put together. It wouldn’t be hard to vary this recipe either, I think next time I’m going to use coconut milk instead of cream, and add some peanut butter–it will taste a lot more like the curry I love from TS.

Also, you can adjust the heat by changing the amount of curry powder you add. This packed a pretty big punch, so if you just want a little heat, I’d take it down a notch. I halved this recipe, since it’s just Jordan and I, this will make about 4 servings.

One more change I’ll make next time–the recipe calls for already cooked shrimp, but that really didn’t make any sense to me. You have to cook it for 15 minutes! I thought it would be tough, and I was right. Next time I will definitely use raw and let it cook in the broth while it cooks.

Trying to get more creative with my photographs!

Baked Shrimp Curry

From Better Homes and Gardens Ultimate Casseroles

2 lbs fresh or frozen peeled and deveined cooked shrimp
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp curry powder (adjust to your heat preference. I wouldn’t add more than this the first time.)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups cream or milk (or coconut milk!)
2 Tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
Splash Worcestershire sauce
4 cups hot cooked rice

Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Preheat oven to 400 F.

In Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, curry powder, paprika, and nutmeg. Gradually stir in cream. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, 1 minute more. Stir in shrimp, sherry, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.

**Note–If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can definitely do the stovetop cooking in a skillet, then transfer to a casserole dish before baking. That is actually how BHG said to do it. I used my Dutch Oven because it was one less pan I had to wash!

Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14, 2010

This has been a pretty productive weekend. I FINALLY got my office organized and everything put away (we’ve only been living in this house since September). I’ve done two weeks worth of laundry. AND I cooked a meal! Quite an accomplishment for someone who has been up and down and all over the place lately. All and all, it was a very good weekend, and really pretty relaxing. I spent a majority of today in bed watching No Reservations on Netflix. God, that Anthony Bourdain is sexy. Er…um…I mean…did I say that out loud? 

After an afternoon nap when J. got home from work, it was time to make dinner. We’re a little short on funds this week, and we’ve been going out way too much lately, so I really wanted to make something at home. This was a great dish, it was semi-fancy, easy to make, and aside from the shrimp, all of the ingredients are always stocked in my pantry.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

8 oz linguine

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 diced yellow onion

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 large can whole tomatoes, drained, pulsed in food processor for 15 seconds

1/4 tsp salt

Boil water; salt. Add pasta and cook per package instructions. Drain and keep warm.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over med. high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp garlic and the shrimp; cook for 3 minutes or until pink. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Heat the remaining oil to pan; add onion. Saute 5 minutes or until softened (mine didn’t take that long, my pan was too hot). Add remaining garlic, pepper, and herbs; cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir in tomato paste and lemon juice; cook for one minute until darkened. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until thickened.

Return shrimp to pan; cook just until heated through. Serve over pasta. 

Yield:  4 servings.

Shrimp Flip! November 10, 2009

I got this recipe from a Twitter friend–this was a favorite family recipe of his. His recipe originally called to flour the shrimp and fry it in 1/2 cup olive oil, which I’m sure would be marvelously delicious as well! As for me, I prefer my fried shrimp with cocktail sauce. If I’m going to have a wine sauce, I want my shrimp naked. That is the wonderful thing about cooking. You can ALWAYS change a recipe to how you like it.

I was so excited when I was cooking this recipe, because as I was cooking the shrimp I flipped it! You know what I mean, that fancy chef flip! I did it right on my first try, and I was so excited that I called J. up to the kitchen to watch. Of course as soon as he got to the kitchen, I threw shrimp across the room. Luckily we only lost 1 or 2. Sigh.

Note–next time you order a shrimp dinner and are complaining because it’s taking so long–Don’t. Instead remember that somewhere in the back of that Red Lobster someone is taking the poop pipe out of each teeny tiny little sea insect so that you can eat it. Mmm Delicious.

Note Squared–If you do make this at home, I recommend buying your shrimp already deveined. It is usually a few cents more expensive, but much less gross.

Herb’s Shrimp in Wine Sauce

Adapted from KayDub

1/2 cup white wine

2 tsp tomato paste

4 Tbsp warm water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb shrimp

1 green onion, chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a small sauce pan, whisk together tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, cayenne, and wine, in saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce.

Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until it starts to turn translucent. Add shrimp and saute until almost completely cooked thru. Add onion. Add sauce to shrimp. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer to finish cooking shrimp. Garnish with parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm with New Potatoes and Roasted Garlic (seriously this was goooooood).

This would also be really good served over linguine or with some thick, crusty bread to sop up the sauce.