Shrimp Cocktail Gazpacho

Here's a starter for a summer dinner...cool, zesty and refreshing!

https://food52.com/recipes/30621-shrimp-cocktail-gazpacho

One Pot Pastalaya

This past week's contest over at Food52 was "your Best One Pot Meal"  so I made a pastalaya which is like jambalaya but uses pasta in place of the rice.  It was spicy, filling and tasty!
See my recipe here:

http://food52.com/recipes/25919-one-pot-pastalaya 

Jammin' Jambalaya Soup

Spicy and filling, this soup makes a satisfying meal fit for a tailgate or just game watching!


Makes about 5 quarts

2 Tbl vegetable oil
1 pound andouille  or another spicy smoked sausage
5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 medium stalks celery, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1  14 to 15 ounce can plum tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked white rice
3/4 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
Cayenne pepper to taste


Cut the sausage into a 3/4 inch dice.  Remove any excess fat from the chicken thighs and then dice them about the same size as the sausage.
Heat the oil in a 6 quart soup pot (or larger) and add the diced sausage.  Once the sausage starts to render some fat, add the diced chicken and saute until the chicken loses some of its "rawness".
Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, paprika, basil, oregano and thyme and continue to saute until the vegetables soften.
With clean hands, crush the tomatoes and add them to the pot.  Give it a stir and bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken broth and bring the soup up to a boil and then down to a simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the cooked rice and then taste the soup.  This is where you'll decide if you want to add a little cayenne pepper.  My sausage was very spicy so I added less than 1/4 teaspoon.  It's up to you.
Bring the soup back up to a simmer, add the shrimp, put a lid on the pot and turn the heat off.  The shrimp will cook within a couple of minutes.  if you're making the soup early in the day, add the shrimp after re heating.
 

Garlic Shrimp with Almonds

I meant to post this recipe right after Easter but with my brother coming into town from Baton Rouge and now with my Dad in the hospital, there  hasn't been much time. Anyway, this is an appetizer I haven't made in a long time but is a family favorite. I did make it on Easter and as usual, it was a hit.  Here's the Food52 link:

http://food52.com/recipes/21506-garlic-shrimp-with-almonds 

Julie's Deviled Seafood

This seafood casserole was one my mom would make for Christmas, as part of a buffet and for company during the year.  It's very, very rich and very retro but oh so good!  Mom used lobster meat in this but feel free to use more reasonably priced langoustines in its place.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 cup finely chopped celery
1 medium green bell pepper, finely minced
1 cup finely sliced green onion
16 ounces king or lump crab meat, well picked over
16 ounces cooked lobster meat or langoustines, chopped
16 ounces cooked shrimp(preferably wild Gulf), chopped
2  1/2 cups coarsely crushed saltines
1 tsp salt
1  1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
Tabasco sauce to taste

Combine all the ingredients and pour them into a lightly buttered 2 quart baking dish.  bake in a pre heated 350F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Shrimp Remoulade Slaw

I love remoulade sauce with shrimp, crab cakes, oysters and even fish.  Thought this time I'd turn shrimp remoulade into a salad.


Makes 4 healthy servings


For the remoulade:
1 cup mayo
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 green onions, finely diced
1 heaping Tbl Creole mustard (if you don't have creole, Dijon will work)
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl ketchup
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
3 good shakes ( or more if you like it spicy ) hot sauce (I used Cholula)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.


For the slaw:


1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen (I used 36-40s)
1/2 lemon
5 cups shredded common cabbage
1/2 cup chopped parsley
The remoulade
Salt and pepper for seasoning


Bring about 3 quarts of water along with the 1/2 lemon to a rolling boil.  Add the shrimp, put a lid on the pot, turn off the heat and let the shrimp sit for about 2 minutes.  Drain the shrimp in a colander and then rinse them quickly in cold, cold water to cool.
Once the shrimp has cooled, combine it with the shredded cabbage, remoulade and chopped parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and chill before serving.

Seafood Pasta Rosa

Whenever son Matt comes to town we make seafood pasta because it's one of his favorite meals.  he likes it creamy...we like it tomatoey.  This time we compromised and made one with tomato and cream (well actually half and half).  We all decided that this was one of the better ones.

Makes about 6 servings

1 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl butter
1/2 cup diced onion
5 to 6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 roma tomatoes which have been peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tbl instant flour(Wondra)
4 cups clam juice or shrimp stock or a combination
1 cup half and half (or light cream)
1  1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 31-40 size)
1  1/2 pounds sea scallops, cut in half horizontally if extremely large
1 cup minced fresh herbs (basil, oregano and parsley)
1 pound spaghetti or linguini
Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and oil, add the onion and garlic and saute until the mixture softens and becomes very fragrant.
Add the salt, pepper and diced tomatoes.  Whisk in the instant flour a tablespoon at a time while on the heat.  Add the wine and then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the clam juice, bring up to a simmer and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
While the mixture is simmering, cook your pasta per package instructions.
After the tomato mixture simmers, stir in the cream and add the shrimp and scallops. Bring up to a simmer again and then simmer for about 2 or 3 minutes until the seafood is just cooked. 
Stir in the fresh herbs and serve the sauce over the cooked pasta, garnished with the Parmesan if desired.

Two Chinese-American Recipes

Here are two links to recipes for Chinese-American dishes that I've posted on Food52. I love the idea of re creating dishes I've had out and actually think they can be so much better in.  The first one is for Lemon Chicken To Go and you can find it here:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/15791_lemon_chicken_to_go 


The second is for Pearl's Shrimp Sub Gum Chow Mein which can be found here:

http://food52.com/recipes/16638_pearls_shrimp_sub_gum_chow_mein 

Take a look and see what you think!

Caesar Celery Slaw

A number of years ago I found a recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine for Caesar Coleslaw which I dearly loved.  We were all in to low carb dieting and this recipe certainly fit the bill.  I think a Caesar salad is one of the greatest inventions of all time.  Here's my take on it with crunchy celery, fennel and rock shrimp.  The dressing is more than enough for the two salads but will keep in the fridge for more salad, as a dip for vegetables or a marinade for grilled chicken.

For the dressing:
1 room temperature egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbl anchovy paste (or more if you like)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the egg, salt, mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice and garlic in the bowl of a mini food processor.  With the machine running, drizzle in the oil through those little holes on the lid until the oil is incorporated and the dressing is emulsified.  Refrigerate at least an hour.  The dressing will thicken.

For the slaw:
1 cup finely sliced fennel bulb, cut into slices about 2 inches
2 cups thinly sliced celery cut on the diagonal
1/2 pound cooked rock shrimp or small gulf shrimp
6 to 8 Kalamata olives
Parmesan shavings for serving
The dressing previously made
Salt and pepper if desired

In a medium bowl toss the fennel and celery with 2 or 3 Tbl of the dressing.  Taste and add a little salt and pepper if desired.  In another bowl toss the shrimp with a tablespoon or two of the dressing.
Divide the celery/fennel mixture on to two salad plates.  Top each with half of the shrimp.  Place a few olives on top and add the parmesan shavings.

Almost Shrimp Cocktail

Friday I received the February Bon Appetit magazine and as I was perusing through I ran across this amazing recipe for Poor Man's "Shrimp" Cocktail.  I immediately called friend Pam who gets the magazine also and we both agreed that it had to be tried.  We both went out yesterday, bought the ingredients and did the test.  This is almost "genius" in that if you close your eyes(Pam's words) you really do think you're eating shrimp cocktail....think about it -low fat, low cholesterol, low carb, high fiber, vegan....and CHEAP!

Here's the link:

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/02/poor-man-shrimp-cocktail 

Ragin' Cajun Popcorn

No...not popped corn, but crawdaddies, mudbugs, crayfish, crawfish,  breaded in a spicy flour and corn meal mix and eaten out of hand like popcorn.  If you can't get crawfish tail meat, feel free to use small gulf shrimp or rock shrimp.

1 pound cooked crawfish tail meat, thawed if frozen, rinsed and drained
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbl hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 Tbl cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Enough peanut or vegetable oil to fill a large frying pan about an inch

Stir the buttermilk and hot sauce together and add the crawfish meat.  Let marinate for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, make the breading by whisking the flour, corn meal, salt, pepper and cayenne together and then place in a small paper or plastic bag.
After the 20 minutes, drain the crawfish meat well.
Heat the oil in the frying pan until almost smoking.  Add about a third of the crawfish to the flour filled bag and coat well.  Fry the crawfish in the oil for no more that 2 minutes or until golden.  Remove with a spider or large slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling.  Repeat with the rest of the crawfish.

Shrimp with a Spicy Raspberry Cocktail Sauce

Great for summer on the deck....and easy as pie!

1 cup mayo
1 Tbl Sambal Oelek ( spicy fresh chili paste)
2 Tbl fresh lime juice
4 Tbl honey
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 to 2 pounds peeled, deveined cooked shrimp, tails on
Salt for seasoning

Place all ingredients except shrimp in a mini food processor and process until smooth.  Taste and add salt and more Sambal Oelek if desired.

Place sauce in serving bowl and surround with beautiful shrimp!

Shrimp Salad on a Croissant with White Bean "Mayo"

I love sandwiches on croissants, especially shrimp or chicken salad.  Here's my version for shrimp salad bound together with a white bean "mayo".  On a picnic this "mayo" might hold up better than the real thing and is really delicious .

For the mayo:
1 cup cooked, rinsed and drained white beans ( Northern or Cannellini)
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil ( might need a little more)
2  Tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
Puree all ingredients in a mini processor, adding a little extra oil if necessary to get the desired consistency.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the sandwich:
2 cups chopped, cooked peeled and deveined shrimp ( I used a one pound bag of 36-40 shell on Key West Pinks)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 cup white bean "mayo"
Salt and pepper to taste
4 croissants, split

Combine all ingredients except the croissants.  Divide the salad among them.

Buffalo Shrimp Wontons

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Here's a fun appetizer idea ( or even lunch ) taking the flavors of buffalo wings to shrimp with a little crunch.

12 peeled and deveined (26 - 30 count or larger) shrimp, tails left intact.
12 wonton wrappers
1/4 cup of your favorite hot sauce ( I used Cholula )
3 ounces softened cream cheese
2 Tbl crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbl finely minced chives
peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Marinate the shrimp in the hot sauce for about 20 minutes.
Thoroughly combine the cream cheese, blue cheese and chives in a bowl.
Take a wonton and with your finger wet all 4 edges with water.
Spread about 1/2 tsp of the cheese mixture in the center of the wonton.
Take a shrimp, pat it dry with a paper towel and place it in the center of the wonton, leaving the tail hanging over the edge.
Fold the top side of the wonton over the top of the shrimp, pressing firmly along the whole top. Fold the sides over the shrimp, wrapping tight, being especially careful to seal the tail end.  Repeat for remaining shrimp.
Heat enough oil in a large frying pan for shallow frying  Fry the shrimp quickly on both sides until nicely browned. Transfer to paper towels to drain a bit.
Place the wontons in a baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 minutes.  Cool a few minutes before serving with hot sauce blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.

Another Seafood Pasta

Get out your spoons and crusty bread!  This shrimp and scallop pasta is really garlicky and brothy...and soooo good!

1 pound raw medium to large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 pound raw sea scallops, halved crosswise if very large
3 Tbl olive oil
8 cloves minced garlic
1  15-16 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups clam juice
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
6 -8 julienned basil leaves
8 ounces dried pasta

In a dutch oven, saute the garlic in the olive oil on low heat for a minute or two, until the garlic gets fragrant and softens a bit. Add the tomatoes, wine clam juice, black pepper, and red pepper, bring up to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add the scallops and shrimp, bring back up to barely boiling, stir in the basil, and turn the heat off.  Cover and let "steep" while preparing the pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta in bowls. 
Note: The Chuck Muer House Bread is perfect with this! 

Winter BBQ?

I know...it's the middle of one of the coldest winters we've had recently, but Tom and I grill year round...I had a slab of baby back ribs in the freezer, so I pulled it out and we grilled.  My rib recipe isn't anything fancy...I usually cut the slab in 4 pieces, season them with a creole seasoning salt, bake them tightly covered at 300F for about 2 hours and then throw them on the grill and baste them with BBQ sauce until they char up a bit.
The shrimp and macaroni salad is another thing, however.  This was mom's recipe, very retro (and fattening), but oh so good. Here it is:

1 lb. macaroni, shells, or other small pasta
1  1/2 lbs. cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped if large
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
6 slices  American cheese, cut in small squares
1 - 2 cups mayo
2 Tbl white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse and then sprinkle the vinegar over and stir.
Add the chopped onion, green pepper, celery and shrimp and combine.
Add the cheese and mayo( start with one cup of mayo and add more if you want the salad creamier)
Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Seafood Cobb Salad

Instead of a regular Cobb Salad, substitute seafood for the chicken.  I used shrimp and lobster and added green beans, boiled eggs , bacon,avocado, and tomatoes over a bed of lettuce.  Blue cheese dressing finishes it off. A little decadent, but worth it!

Seafood pasta

Whenever Matt's in town we have a seafood pasta dinner night...sometimes seafood lasagna...sometimes creamy with noodles.  Last night it was linguine, shrimp, scallops, clams, and broccoli.  Served with the Chuck Muer House Bread, it was delicious!

1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp( thawed, drained, and patted dry)
1 lb. sea scallops (thawed, if frozen, and patted dry)
2  6.5 oz. cans chopped clams with the juice
1 stick butter
4 to 6 (or more) crushed garlic cloves
1 cup half and half
1 cup clam juice
3 to 4 Tbl. instant flour (Wondra) plus more if needed
1 lb. frozen broccoli florets, thawed
grated parmesan, romano,or asiago cheese for serving(optional)
1 lb. pasta, cooked

In a good size sauce pot, melt butter on low heat, add garlic and heat for about a minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.  Add the clams with their juice and bring to a simmer. At this point add the instant four and stir, creating a roux. Slowly add the half and half and clam juice and bring the mixture up to a boil. (the mixture should be thick). Add the broccoli, shrimp, and scallops and simmer about 5 minutes until the seafood is done. If at this point the mixture seems too watery, sprinkle in a little more of the flour. (The seafood exudes liquid as it cooks)


Serve over cooked pasta and sprinkle with some grated cheese, if desired.

Party shrimp

Here's a nice twist on shrimp cocktail for your next party. I normally don't use pre-cooked frozen shrimp but I had some in my freezer that needed to be used. I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet and juicy these were.  Use any size shrimp you like, but the bigger the more impressive.  This recipe is for 1 lb. shrimp, but you can certainly double or triple it for a crowd.

1  lb. frozen, cooked shrimp, thawed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper
3 Tbl. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired.  Place in a serving bowl and pass the toothpicks!

Note:  This marinade can also be used for grilling raw shrimp.  Same procedure but grill the shrimp for a few minutes on each side before serving.

Fish Stew

Many of you know that my family was in the retail fish and seafood business for almost 80 years until we sold in 2007. My dad collected seafood recipes from every source he could find, tested them and made some his signature.  This one, Fish Stew Diane, is one of his favorites.

1 lb. skinned saltwater fish( cod, halibut, snapper, sole) cut in 2 inch chunks
16 medium to large peeled and deveined raw shrimp
16 sea scallops
6 peeled and seeded tomatoes( romas work well here) cut into thin strips
2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1 cup fish stock, purchased seafood stock, or clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine

Heat the oil in a 4-6 quart sauce pot. Add the crushed garlic and saute on very low heat for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stock , and wine and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.(this can be made up to a day ahead of time if desired) 
Add the fish and seafood and simmer for about 5 minutes until just done(don't overcook!) Stir in the basil and parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with Crusty Bread!!

Feel free to add any combination of fish and/or seafood you choose..This can be a little pricey but is an impressive company dish