Another Shrimp Pasta Dish

Shea and I had some leftover alfredo sauce that we didn't want to spoil.  Alfredo sauce bought from the store is pretty expensive here and I haven't yet had the time to try a homemade alfredo sauce.  I did a quick search for recipes that weren't just the typical "alfredo pasta dishes" and found this one.  I ended up using rigatoni pasta and cremini mushrooms and omitted the parsley because I didn't have any on hand.  The cayenne pepper can definitely add some heat - watch out!  Next time I make this I'm going to try roasting my red pepper beforehand to add some more flavor.  Such a nice, simple dish! 

Peppered Shrimp Alfredo

short cut pasta of your choice (penne, rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, etc)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 large cremini mushrooms or 1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 (15 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, optional

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add in onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in garlic, red pepper, and mushrooms.  Cook additonal 3 minutes.

3. Add shrimp to pan.  Cook until firm and pink, then pour in Alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, and cream.  Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until thickened, roughly 4 minutes.  Season with cayenne, salt (I didn't add salt), and pepper to taste.

4. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with fresh parsley (optional).

Bon appetit!

Thai Curry

The longer I experiment in the kitchen, the more ethnic the recipes get.  I love the fact that I don't cook the same types of foods over and over and over.  When planning a weekly menu, I usually try for a few chicken recipes, some soups, a few seafood inspired dishes, some Italian pastas, and lately I've been trying out the Asian/Thai food group.  When I saw this Thai Curry dish with Shrimp, I knew I had to try it.

While shopping for ingredients, I ran into a few problems:  I could not find red curry paste (so I used green) and I could not find fish sauce (so I omitted it).  I'm sure the final result was pretty different from what was originally intended, but this came out pretty well.  I'm extremely curious to make it with the red curry paste in the future, as red curry and coconut milk are always a perfect match.  I left the ingredients in the recipe as written in the recipe, but you will notice in the pictures that I do not have a "red" curry sauce so I wanted to mention this upfront. 

The recipe stressed the importance of the fried shallots, but I could have gone without them.  They didn't make (or break) the dish for me.  This is a time consuming recipe, but well worth it if you are in the mood for some homemade Thai food!

Thai Curry Noodles with Shrimp

Ingredients

Lo mein noodles or thin spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
vegetable oil
1 cup shallots, sliced into rounds
salt
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons flour
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fish sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup scallions, sliced for garnish
1 lime, quartered for garnish

1. Season the shallots with salt.  Combine the flour and cornstarch and then add this to the shallots.  Toss the shallots so they become coated with the flour mixture.  Shake off excess flour.

2. Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Add a half inch of oil to the pot.  When the temperature of the oil is 325 degrees, fry the shallots until they are crispy.  Don't let them brown too much to avoid a burnt taste.  Removed them from the pot to a paper towel.  Set aside.

3. Combine the garlic, curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin.  Heat a large pot of medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot.  Add the garlic and spices to the pot.  Sear the spices just until fragrant and then add the chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.

4. While curry is simmering, cook noodles according to package directions.  Strain and keep warm.

5. After simmering, taste the curry to see if you want to add a touch more of the fish sauce. 

6. Add the shrimp to the curry.  Let them cook until almost done and then turn the heat to high.  Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice and bring the sauce back to a boil and then turn off the heat.

7. Place the noodles in individual bowls.  Pour curry sauce and shrimp.  Top with fried shallots and fresh green onions.  Serve with lime slices on the side. 

Bon appetit!

With the fried shallots

Spice it up

This is where I live.  About two hours north of a major cruise line stop (Mazatlan), just on the other side of the pond of a major vacation destination (Los Cabos), and 12 hours south of the United States border.  Living in Mexico has had both its' perks and dissappointments.  One huge benefit for living quite close to the coast in Mexico is the abundance of fresh seafood in all the markets.  While growing up in Indiana and Tennessee, and also attending graduate school in Ohio, I NEVER had much interest in seafood.  Who could grow an appreciation for seafood when you live in the middle of a huge country with no access to fresh markets?  I remember that whenever my parents said that fish was on the dinner menu I always inwardly groaned and complained.  The only seafood that I could enjoy eating was shrimp, usually in the form of shrimp cocktails.  After living in Mexico for 4 years now, I have eaten dozens of fish filets (salmon, tuna, white fish, etc), peeled and deveined hundreds (if not thousands) of shrimp, swallowed a few whole oysters, and even gotten to enjoy octopus.  All of the fresh seafood is so ridiculously inexpensive that it allows us to enjoy a seafood dish several nights of the week.  Here is a great shrimp dish that provides an extreme twist on the classic shrimp cocktail appetizer.

Spicy Shrimp Appetizer

Ingredients
1/3 cup sriracha hot sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon white sugar (some prefer to double)
salt, pepper
16-20 shrimps

1. Combine all ingredients together (except for shrimp).  Mix well.

2. Pour marinade into a Ziplock storage bag and add shrimp.  Shake to cover all shrimp in marinade.

3. Let shrimps marinate for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.

4.  Remove shrimps from marinade.  Cook in skillet or put shrimp on skewers and cook over grill until shrimp is pink.

5. Heat the marinade and place in a small bowl for extra dipping.  Sour cream also tastes really good with these shrimps.

Bon appetit!

Classic Scampi

This recipe has become a staple in our repertoire.  If neither Shea or I are craving a particular food, this is an awesome 'fall back' recipe that is simple to make and satisfying.  It was one of the first recipes that Shea and I attempted to make together.  It has such a light and refreshing taste but will fill up your tummy! 

Classic Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients
angel hair pasta
extra virgin olive oil (referred to as EVOO from here on out)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons white wine
juice of 1 lemon
salt
lots of pepper
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
fresh basil, chopped

1. Bring large pot of water to boil.  Add angel hair pasta and cook to al dente.  Drain and place back into pot.

2. In a large skillet, sautee garlic with EVOO over medium heat. 

3. Stir in chicken broth, white wine, lemon juice, salt, and a lot of pepper.  Let the sauce reduce for a few minutes. 

4. Add butter into sauce.  Let it melt and then add shrimp and basil.  Cook until shrimps have a nice pink color.  Beware of cooking the shrimps too long -- the longer amount of time shrimp is cooked, the tougher it gets. 

5. After shrimps are done cooking, pour the shrimp sauce over pasta noodles.  Toss to coat all noodles. 

Bon appetit!

After I have served my portion of pasta, I usually squeeze more fresh lemon juice over the top.  Doing so brings out the lemon flavor a little bit more, which I love!  Shea and I have also made this with seasoned chicken breasts or without any meat, just pasta.  Slice a zucchini into thin strips and sautee in the beginning with the garlic and EVOO to add a vegetable to the meal.  The zucchini blends wonderfully.

sauce and shrimp before adding to pasta