Shrimp Arrabbiata ala Terri

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about you. You were mistaken. I have just been so busy working at the new Bistro that I barely see my computer much less my own kitchen! I have completely run out of my freezer foods I had stocked up. And with my current one day a week off I do not see it getting replaced anytime soon. But, never fear, I plan on cooking up at least one meal a week now and getting them posted for all to enjoy.

This recipe is a HUGE winner today with my hunny. Allergies prevent me from even tasting it due to the shrimp, but he does have a great pallet so you can take it from him that it is something that will be cooked often in our home. Its quick, easy and uses canned and dried foods most people already have in the kitchenns. The sauce is pretty versatile as long as you do not mind spicy foods. I'm betting it would go great with some Chorizo or Linguisa!

16 oz Angel Hair Pasta, dry
1 tsp Garlic Salt
16 oz Tomato Sauce
4 oz Tomato Paste
2 tsp Oregano, dried
2 tsp Basil, dried
1lb Shrimp, deviened and shelled
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 cup White Onion, chopped
2 tsp Garlic, minced
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
Garnish Parsley Flakes 
Garnish Parmesan Cheese

1. Cook pasta to package directions, adding garlic salt and 1 tsp basil to water.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet over med heat, add 1-2 tbsp oil and saute shrimp for 2 minutes each side. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

3. In saucepan add tomato sauce and paste and stir in oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Heat to just simmer and remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, in same skillet add 1 tb evoo and saute onions 3 minutes and add garlic, saute 1 minute then add the tomatoes and saute two minutes more. Pour in tomato sauce mixture and remove from heat.

5. To serve, place herbed pasta on plate, then shrimp, then sauce and top with parsley flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Herb Grilled Shrimp

So, my hunny was hankering for some shrimp. Well, most of you already know I'm very allergic to all fish. As a matter of fact, the only thing from the water I can eat is seaweed. Good thing I like it in my Won Ton Soup! So I went on a search for a good marinade I could use since I was already grilling up my Pomegranate and Red Wine Steak. Why not make it a surf and turf weekend?!?

This one sounded yummy and was found over on the She Knows website. The recipe is made for 2 pounds of shrimp, but I found cutting it down was easy and still had lots of flavor.

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  1 medium yellow onion, diced small
  1/4 cups minced fresh parsley (2 tbsp dried)
  1/4 cups minced fresh basil (2 tbsp dried)
  1 tsp dry mustard
  2 tsp Chinese Hot Mustard
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  1/4 cup Sesame Oil
  1-2 tsp Lemon Juice
  2 pounds shrimp, deveined
  
  
  1) Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp to the bowl, toss to coat with the mixture and marinate for up to 2 hours covered and at room temperature.
  
  
  2) Brush the grill rack with oil and prepare the grill on medium heat. Place on shrimp and grill for 2 minutes on each side. If you do not have a rack like the one in the picture, soak wooded skewers in water for 30 minutes then slide on the shrimp and grill.

Friday's Happy Hour Foods 1/13/12

One thing I miss about living in the city is Friday Happy Hours across the bay. Every bar you come across is offering free appetizers and half price drinks. Some places has out of the box munchies anyone can heat up at home. But other places offers something a little bit more in the way of food.

In my search online for some great grub ideas, I came across this link you all might be interested in. Instead of making these dishes at home, try out this link for your city to find Happy Hour Specials and coupons for your favorite bars! Daily Happy Hour

Soy Glazed Chicken Yakitori
From Food & Wine

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 scallions, white and light green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths
6 shiitake mushroom caps, quartered
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha chile sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Vegetable oil, for brushing

1) Thread each of 8 metal skewers with 3 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces each of scallion and shiitake.
In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, kecap manis, sugar, ginger, Sriracha and garlic; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until slightly thickened, 8 minutes.

2) Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the skewers with oil and grill over high heat, turning, until nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Brush the skewers with the sauce and grill, turning, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely glazed, about 3 minutes longer. Serve at once.

Anchor Bar Authentic Buffalo Wings
From About.com

36 chicken wing pieces (one wing makes 2 pieces - the "flat" and the "drum")
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce (Frank's is the brand used in Buffalo)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
celery sticks
blue cheese dressing

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2) If necessary, cut whole wings into two pieces. In a bowl toss the wings with the oil, and salt. Place into a large plastic shopping bag, and add the flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove wings from the bag, shaking off excess flour, and spread out evenly on oiled foil-lined baking pan(s). Do not crowd. Bake for about 20 minutes, turn the wings over, and cook another 20 minutes, or until the wings are cooked through and browned.

3) While the wings are baking, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan, and over low heat bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then turn off.

4) After the wings are cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the hot wings and toss with a spoon or spatula to completely coat.

***These are always served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing on the side.***


Marinated Shrimp
From Cooking Light

• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 36 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 
  
• 1) Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
• 2) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of shrimp; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan. Repeat with remaining olive oil and remaining shrimp.

Shrimp Scampi ala Texas

1 lb Spaghetti, cooked al dente, drained
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 lb Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbsp Parsley, dried
1/4 cup White Wine
1/8 cup Lemon Juice

1) Heat oil in large skillet and melt the butter. Add shrimp and saute 1 minute. Add garlic and red pepper. Let saute 2 minutes or until shrimp turns a nice pink color.  Sprinkle in the parsley.

2) Stir in the wine and lemon juice and let simmer 3 minutes then drop in the pasta. Let cook until the pasta absorbs the liquid and serve while hot!

Panko Texasfied Fried Shrimp

Unfortunately I cannot give an honest opinion of the taste of this dish. Since I am highly allergic to shrimp, we will go with my hunny's words of ,"mmmmmmmmmm... garble garble... mmmmmm". I took that as a good thing since he very quickly put away 16 shrimp without breathing. So, if you like shrimp, can find it at a decent price, and love spicy foods... this one is for you!

I used Panko Breading for this since it is made from only the bread, not the crusts. It doesn't soak up as much oil and keeps a nice light golden color when fried. May I suggest you give it a whirl the next time you try frying something?

3 Eggs
2 tsp+ Cholulu Sauce (how spicy do you want it?)
1/3 cup Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Ground Pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 lb Shrimp, raw, peeled, deviened with tails on
1 1/2 cup + Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
Oil for frying

1) Beat eggs and Cholulu in medium bowl until frothy.

2) In another medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and peppers.

3) In yet another medium bowl, place Panko and second tsp of red pepper.

4) Holding tails, dredge shrimp in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture then quickly cover in Panko mixture.

5) Make sure oil is at least 2" deep and has reached a temp of 350. If it's too hot you will burn the shrimp on the outside and it will be raw on the inside. The oil should gently boil when you drop the first shrimp. Make sure you turn the shrimp as soon as it begins to float (takes about a minute) then let the other side gain a bit of color before removing with a slotted metal spoon. Place on paper towels to drain off oil.