Shrimp in Green Sauce

Shrimp in Green Sauce
serves 6

Boil in salted water:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)

Meanwhile, combine in the food processor:
1 bunch of green onions, tops only
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
3 tbsp. garlic olive oil
1/8 c. lemon juice
1/8 c. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. red chilli flakes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Add to pan and saute for ~5 minutes, until shrimp are just cooked:
the pureed green sauce
1/4 c. white wine
1 pound of shrimp, peeled

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
serves 4-6

Serve over 1/2 lb. linguini or spaghetti.

Shrimp
Toss together, then saute on high for about 30 seconds:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled (can also substitute 1 lb. sea scallops)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil

Turn shrimp and add 1/4 cup cognac (or brandy).  Set cognac on fire, then pull pan off the heat.  Set shrimp aside.

Sauce
Saute over low for 7-10 minutes:
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 9 cloves)

Add, then increase heat to medium for 8 minutes:
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine

Add and heat through:
reserved shrimp
1 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil

Shrimp & Grits

A classic dish of the “low country”, most famously Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.  Most versions use heavy cream in the grits and bacon fat in the shrimp.  My mother developed this lighter version, which is substantially less likely to give you or your loved ones a heart attack but remains delicious.  Although the recipe looks long, the grits themselves are trivial to prepare and can be done in parallel with the shrimp and pan sauce.

What's a "grit"?

Grits are made by coarsely grinding up corn, and are commonly served as a hot breakfast cereal (think "oatmeal") in the American South.  If you're familiar with Italian cooking, grits are very much like polenta; if that doesn't ring a bell, think of Cream of Wheat made with corn.  Grits can either be paired with sweet toppings like maple syrup or served with savory additions like cheese.  The simplest way to eat them is with salt and butter.

Shrimp and Grits

serves 4

Grits

Bring to a boil (uncovered, or milk will boil over):

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in:

1 c. quick cooking grits (NOT instant)

1 c. additional chicken broth or milk

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in:

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or to taste

1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

a pinch of paprika for color

one of the following cheese blends:

a) 3/4  c. shredded sharp cheddar & 1/4 c. Parmesan

b) 1/2 c. sharp cheddar & 1/2 c. pepper Jack

c) 1 c. smoked cheddar

d) 1 c. smoked Gouda

Set them aside, covered, to keep warm.

Shrimp

Toss in a plastic bag:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning

Saute on medium:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp.  butter

coated shrimp

Brown shrimp on both sides, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute for 1 minute in the same pan:

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 small tomato, diced

Stir into pan to deglaze and finish cooking the mushrooms:

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

To assemble

Divide cooked grits among 4 large shallow soup bowls.  Arrange shrimp on the grits and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over top.

Recommended products:

Don't already have a box of grits in your pantry?  Go find yourself some Quaker quick grits.  Avoid the similar Quaker product "instant grits," as these have an undesirable texture.  If you can't find Quaker in your store, look for Albers quick grits.  It's an extremely similar product with identical cooking instructions.

Quaker Quick Grits

Albers quick grits

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

Gumbo can have almost any protein in it, but this is my favorite combination.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

serves 4-6

Brown in a skillet on medium heat, then drain and reserve:

1 lb. smoked sausage, in 1/4" slices

Combine in a Dutch oven:

1/4 c. oil (neutrally flavored like canola or peanut)

1/4 c. flour

Stir roux continually over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until it browns; the traditional shade is the color of a copper penny.  Once the color starts to turn, it goes fast.  Be careful: roux is also known as "Cajun napalm", and it can spatter!

Add and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, about half an hour:

2 c. chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bag frozen sliced okra, thawed

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Tabasco to taste

the reserved sausage

At the end, add 1 lb. small raw shrimp, peeled.  Serve in bowls over scoops of cooked long grain rice.

Recommended product:

Sausage can vary wildly in its fat content, so pay attention to the labels at the store.  The traditional choice is andouille, a Cajun spicy pork sausage.  I use my slightly healthier stand-by, Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage.

 

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Shrimp and Rice Salad

From Cook's Illustrated.  Mango chutney is most likely sold in the "ethnic" aisle of your supermarket with the Indian foods, rather than with the rest of the jams and jellies.

Shrimp and Rice Salad

serves 6

Cook 1.5 cups of basmati rice.

Puree in blender until smooth:

1/2 c. mango chutney

2 tbsp. lime juice

1/3 c. olive oil

Saute briefly over medium heat until just cooked:

1 lb. medium shrimp, seasoned with salt and pepper

Toss together:

mango chutney mixture

cooked rice

cooked shrimp

1/3 c. chopped fresh mint

4 green onions, minced

1 c. frozen peas, thawed and salted

salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp & Tortellini

When I'm starving and have zero time, this is my go-to home run recipe.  You can go from frozen shrimp to finished dinner in about 20 minutes.  It's certainly not low calorie between the cheese and the butter, but when you're hungry, that's exactly what the doctor ordered.  It reheats beautifully.

The only difficult part of this dish is not overcooking the shrimp.  Are they basically pink all over?  STOP and pull the pan off the heat!  If your shrimp progress to the curled up stage, they'll still taste good but have an unpleasantly rubbery texture.

Shrimp & Tortellini
serves 4-6

Boil in salted water:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini (e.g. Buitoni)

Melt together in a skillet:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 bunch green onion tops, chopped

Add to skillet and saute over medium until shrimp are just pink:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
salt and pepper to taste

Drain the tortellini and salt them separately.  Toss together shrimp, pan sauce, and pasta.

Add 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese.


Shopping list:
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1 lb. shrimp
1 bunch green onions

Check the pantry:
Parmesan cheese