Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Pasta

Christopher and I love basil…like LOVE basil…and we’re always looking for new ways to use it so when I saw this recipe on Picky Palate I knew we had to try it.  Of course, we omitted the heavy cream and it was still very good!  I wish it was just a little ‘saucier’.  Next time I’ll reserve some of the pasta water to add to the finished dish.

I had some shrimp on hand that I wanted to use, so I just threw that in with the drained pasta and sauce and cooked for a few minutes.  Chicken would also be great with this.  I have a feeling this is going to be a regular in our house from now on.

INGREDIENTS
1/2C. Roasted red bell peppers from a jar or fresh
3 Cloves fresh garlic
1/3C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/3C. Pine nuts (did not use)
1 1/2C. Basil leaves
1/2t. Salt
1/2C. Extra virgin olive oil
1lb. Pasta of your choice
1/4C. Heavy cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Place roasted red peppers and garlic into food processor.  Pulse until well combined.  Add the parmesan, pine nuts, basil leaves and salt.  With processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.  Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and transfer to a large rimmed skillet or pot.  Pour in pesto and stir.  Stir in heavy cream if desired.  Heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Husband Rating – 3.5 out of 5 – Very good, but could be saucier.

Read Full Post »

Shrimp and Grits

I’ve always wanted to try shrimp and grits but figured it was impossible to do without cheese and/or heavy cream.  That is, until today.  I came across this recipe on Skinny Food by Amy and decided to give it a try.

Christopher and I both really enjoyed the shrimp and vegetable mixture.  The grits were…interesting.  I think I’d like to try them again, maybe at a restaurant, so I know how they’re supposed to taste.  The only thing I added to this dish was the pepper.

INGREDIENTS
3T. Fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. Hot sauce (I used Sriacha)
1 1/2lbs. Peeled and de-veined large shrimp
2  Bacon slices, chopped
1 C. Chopped onion
1/2C. Chopped green and red bell pepper
1 1/2t. Minced garlic
1C. Low sodium chicken broth
1/2C. Chopped green onions
5C. Water
1 1/2C. Uncooked quick-cooking grits
1T. Butter
1t. Salt
3/4C. Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine first 3 ingredients with a pinch of salt and pepper; set aside.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and 1/4 cup green onions; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently.

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and salt.

Serve shrimp mixture over grits; sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.

–

Husband Rating – 2 out of 5 – “The shrimp and veggies were great, the grits were weird.”

Read Full Post »

Seafood Nachos

Today’s blog post comes from a special guest … my Dad!

While in Cape Cod last week he and my Mom saw a description for seafood nachos on the menu board in a cafe at Wood’s Hole.  They didn’t eat there, but he took the recipe home and recreated them this past weekend.

Holy moley, were these tasty!  I could have eaten the entire plate myself!  So good that I just had to share them on here.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2lb. Sea scallops, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1T. Olive Oil (or butter)
1/2lb. Shrimp (he used pre-cooked) cleaned, de veined, also coarsely chopped
1/2 Bunch green onions, sliced
1lb. Shredded plain Havarti cheese
1 Bag white corn chips
Salsa & Sour Cream (to serve on the side)

DIRECTIONS:
Barely cook the scallops in butter or olive oil.  (Of course multiple of taste tests were necessary.)

Spread seafood pieces, green onions and grated cheese over two single layers of chips and heat through (@350) to melt the cheese.

Serve with salsa and or sour cream on the side.

Read Full Post »

Dad’s Seafood Stuffing

Every Christmas, for as long as I can remember, my Dad has been making baked stuffed shrimp for our holiday meal.  Finally, a few years ago, he shared his stuffing recipe with me.  Even though it is best on shrimp, it compliments any fish/seafood quite nicely.  Tonight, we had it with salmon.

INGREDIENTS
1 Small white onion, diced
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Small package, sliced mushrooms
1 Stick (8T) butter or margarine
1 Package, Imitation Crab Meat, chopped
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS
Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add onion and cook until translucent (4-5 minutes).  Next, add the mushrooms and cook until almost done (8-10 minutes).  Add the ‘crab’ meat and cook until warm.  Add S&P (I usually only add pepper, the dish is plenty salty for me). 

Remove from heat and start adding the bread crumbs, 1/2C at a time.  Honestly, I can’t tell you exactaly how much to put in the stuffing.  It varies every time.  Just keep adding until the crumbs have absorbed almost all of the butter.  Usually it will take about 2 1/2 C – but like I said, it varies.

Read Full Post »

Shrimp Scampi

This is one of our favorite dinners…I just keep forgetting to take pictures before we chow down.  It’s super-easy and fancy enough to serve to dinner guests.  I got this recipe from Tyler Florence.  His food has never let me down!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined please
2T Butter or Margarine, divided
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 Shallot, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1/2C White Wine (I used Ballet of Angels b/c it’s really the only wine I drink and keep in the house)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1T Parsley Flakes (fresh is good too)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a deep skillet add 1T olive oil and 1T butter to the pan.  Gently saute the shallot until it starts to become translucent.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  S&P the cleaned and dried shrimp and add to the pan.  Cook until just done (pink and the tails have curled).  Remove everything from pan and set aside to keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil and butter to the pan.  Pour in wine and lemon juice.  Gently boil for a few minutes.  Add the parsley and red pepper flakes.  When the pasta is ready, with tongs, transfer it to the sauce pan.  You want some of the pasta water to help make the sauce…no need to drain it completely.

Re-introduce the shrimp mixture to the pan, toss to coat and serve immediately.

Read Full Post »

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

I came across this recipe while perusing my Cooking Light Cookbook.  It looked simple enough, and we had some shrimp to use up, so I figured we’d give it a try.  Overall it was good.  I’d like to try it again with the tomatoes (I didn’t have any in the cupboards and wasn’t going to run to the store for one can of tomatoes) as it was a tad dry.

INGREDIENTS
1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
2  pounds  peeled and deveined large shrimp
1  tablespoon  Cajun seasoning, salt-free
1  tablespoon  bottled minced garlic (I used two whole cloves)
1  cup  frozen bell pepper stir-fry, thawed (I chopped up leftover bell peppers I had in the fridge) 
1/4  cup  chopped green onions
1/4  teaspoon  dried thyme
1/2  cup  canned Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/8  teaspoon  black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with Cajun seasoning; toss to coat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add the pepper stir-fry, green onions, and thyme; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in cooked rice, shrimp, tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Read Full Post »