Tag: Shrimp

Curried Rice Salad with Shrimp

 

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Curried Rice Salad with Shrimp

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This is one of those super easy recipes to make that can be a side or main dish and as an added bonus it can be made ahead and left in the refrigerator for a couple of days and all you would need to do when you wished to have it is add the shrimp.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 bag medium shelled and deveined Shrimp
  • 1 medium White Onion – diced
  • 3 tablespoons Canola oil
  • 1 13 ounce can Coconut milk
  • 3 tablespoons Curry powder
  • 1 8 ounce can of Peas
  • 1 medium Red pepper – diced
  • 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 cup Long Grain Rice

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°
  2. In a large dutch oven heat the canola oil and cook the the onions until just translucent… about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the chicken broth. stir and bring to a boil with the lid on. Turn off the heat and put in the oven for 35 minutes.
  4. In a large sauce pan heat the coconut milk and curry powder stirring continually until sauce starts to thicken. Mix in the red pepper and peas and continue cooking for about another five minutes.
  5. Add the curry sauce and vegetables to the rice, mix well and set aside to cool.
  6. While the rice mixture is cooling saute the shrimp until just pink.
  7. When the shrimp has cooled, plate the rice mix and top with the shrimp.
  8. Enjoy

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……

                         Bon Appetit

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Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp Tacos

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: Easy
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My grandson loves Taco Tuesday at our house because he gets a chance to basically make his own dinner and with the invention of Old El Paso Taco Bowls™ he really looks forward to Tuesday nights.

Now for me I need to find an alternative to the ordinary usual type taco because I have to avoid red meat so this Tuesday I decided to go for Shrimp Tacos and since we have a place near home with really reasonably priced shrimp it was a no brainer. This decision also gave me the opportunity to experiment with my Actifry™ Hot Air Fryer and I have to say it performed as well as I expected.

Cooks note: When using the Actifry for things like shrimp or chicken nuggets remove the center spindle that way the shrimp etc will sit flat while cooking.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 bag 31-40 shell off, deveined Shrimp
  • Small head of iceberg Lettuce – shredded
  • Medium bag shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 medium Avocado – sliced
  • 3 Spring Onions – chopped
  • 1 Old El Paso™ Taco kit
  • 1 jar Old El Paso™ salsa
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 tablespoons Chipotle powder
  • 4 tablespoons Old Bay™ seasoning
  • Pickled Anaheim peppers
  • Sour cream for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1. Season the flour with the Old Bay and Chipotle powder and mix well.
  2. Dredge the shrimp in the flour making sure to shake off any excess and place half in the Actifry.
  3. Cook for 10 minutes turning half way. Repeat with the remaining shrimp
  4. Build your Taco and enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                           Bon Appetit

Chicken and Shrimp Burritos

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Chicken and Shrimp Burritos

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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“Nouvelle Cuisine, roughly translated, means: I can’t believe I paid ninety-six dollars and I’m still hungry.”

Mike Kalin

When I picked my grandson up from school today he looked at me and said “Pops……. you know what day this is ? It’s Taco Tuesday!!” Now I love Mexican food….. Carne Asada, Pozole, Chicharone and Taquitos……… but lately I’ve kind of gone off Tacos and decided that I wanted something different—– enter Burritos.

There is something about the mix of meat and rice and seasonings that I find very alluring in a Burrito unfortunately the Mexican take out places we have in the area are so heavy handed with the hot sauce that you can’t taste anything else and so I made my own.

Due to having a bunch of starving kids running amok in the house I took the liberty of some short cuts that I don’t normally use because if I didn’t I surely would have lost my sanity.

Oh and my grandson still got his Tacos.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list: 

  • 1 package of large 10″ Tortillas 
  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken breast
  • 12 Shrimp – shelled and deveined
  • 5 teaspoons Vegetable oil
  • One package shredded Cheese
  • 1 8 ounce can Corn kernels
  • 1 10 ounce can Black Beans
  • 6 Spring Onions – white only, sliced
  • 1 18 ounce can Diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups Uncle Ben’s 5 minute Rice
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons granulated Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 6-8 tablespoons Salsa Verde

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large pot bring the water, corn, black beans and tomatoes to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, onions and rice. Cover and remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large fry pan heat 3 tablespoons oil, add the diced chicken, season with the chili powder, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. In the same pan heat the remaining oil, add the shrimp and season with the Old Bay. Saute until firm – about 3 minutes. Add to the chicken.
  4. To build the burrito: Heat a tortilla for approximately 20 seconds. Place some cheese in the center of the tortilla, top with the rice, chicken and shrimp mix, salsa and more cheese. Fold the east and west side flaps of the tortilla until they meet in the middle. Using your thumbs fold the bottom flap up and over and roll until you have made your round burrito.
  5. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                          Bon Appetit

Surf and Turf burger

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Surf and Turf burger

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: easy
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Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.

Anthony Bourdain

It’s cold and snowy and blowing and depressing and I want it to end……… come on Mother Nature have a heart BRING ON THE SUMMER—– please??

Okay so my grovelling didn’t work and despite what some rodent proclaimed a few weeks back winter and all it’s icy snowy wonder is here to stay for a wee bit more but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream of warm weather, cold beer and BBQ right? 

So in honour of summer dreaming I decided to make Surf and Turf burgers for dinner tonight. Now absolutely everyone has “the best” burger recipe and I for one am not about to get into a war of words over who is right and who is not but suffice it to say the best burger (in my humble opinion) is one where the patty stands on it’s own based on a righteous flavour profile and is simply enhanced by whatever toppings you put on it.

With that in mind here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 Pounds ground Pork
  • 2 Pounds ground Beef
  • 12 peeled and deveined 26-30 Shrimp
  • 1 medium Onion – minced
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3 Garlic cloves – finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons Blackening Spice
  • 2 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Red Onion – sliced
  • 1 large Tomato – sliced
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • handful of Spinach
  • Soft Crusty rolls – split

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large non reactive bowl mix together the pork, beef, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, eggs and blackening spice. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour.
  2.  Using a standard ice cream scoop form 4 ounce patties.
  3. Grill or pan fry the burgers until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  4. In  a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the garlic. While the garlic butter is heating dust the shrimp with the Old Bay and add to the garlic butter. Saute until the shrimp is pink, about 4 minutes.
  5. Build your burger and enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                           Bon Appetit

 

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in a Creole Cheddar sauce

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in a Creole Cheddar sauce

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat. 
Giada De Laurentiis

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest about a month ago and it turned out really quite good so when my daughter in law told me that it was chef’s choice on what her Birthday dinner would be it didn’t take much to convince me to do this one.

The original recipe calls for Hot Pepper Sauce but since I like my food seasoned and not blow your head off hot I decided to substitute some Creole Seasoning and it worked just fine.

I would also like to tip my hat to Black Diamond Cheese ® as the original recipe came from their site.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 5 Tbsp (75 mL)  Butter, divided
  • 2 cup (500 mL) sliced Cremini mushrooms
  • ½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped Onion
  • ½ tsp (2 mL) dried Thyme leaves, crushed
  • 1 lb(s) (500 g) fresh or frozen large Shrimp, peeled, deveined
  • 1 lb(s) (500 g) fresh or frozen small Scallops
  • 1 cup (250 mL) White Wine
  • 4½ Tbsp (67 mL) all-purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) Paprika
  • 1 ½ cup (375 mL) whole Milk
  • 2 cup (500 mL) Black Diamond Old Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 3 Tbsp (15 mL) Creole Seasoning, or to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb(s) (500 g) hot cooked Linguine
  • Parsley for garnish

Putting it all together:

  1.  Melt 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the butter in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and thyme; cook and stir until tender. Add shrimp, scallops and wine to pan. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until seafood is cooked. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) broth. Set cooked seafood mixture aside.
  2.  Melt remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter in the same saucepan. Blend in flour and paprika then gradually stir in reserved broth and milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and add Black Diamond Old Cheddar Cheese; stir until melted. Add creole seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
  3. To serve, divide pasta among 4- 6 shallow bowls. Mix the seafood with the cheese sauce. Top the pasta with the seafood/ cheese sauce mixture, add more creole seasoning and garnish with parsley, if desired.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………

                            Bon Appetit

Epic Oops

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  • Servings: “5”
  • Difficulty: “easy”
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I, like many other cooks, love to take a recipe and twist it to make it my own especially if it is something I have not tried before. Now most times this works beautifully and the recipe gets filed away for future dinners or for use by others however every once in a while one of these recipes falls into the category of “Oh lord!! What have I done?” This one my dear friends falls squarely into that category but at the same time it also offers up the challenge of getting it right.

Now I have always said that I am my own worst critic when it comes to the food that arrives from my kitchen to your table and this is one of those times despite the fact that my dinner guests loved the flavour profile and the idea of the dish. My disappointment comes from the fact that instead of being presented like a seafood type Cottage Pie it resembled more of a seafood “Swamp Pie” with the mashed potatoes slowly sinking into the horizon which then got me to thinking (after I finished berating myself) — “just what on earth went wrong?”

After carefully going over what I did (hey this could lead to a new profession….. “Forensic Foodologist”….LOL) I came to the conclusion that it was simply a matter of the broth/sauce being too thin and the mashed potatoes not thick enough and thankfully this type of mistake is easy to correct the next time around.

Here is how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 2 pounds peeled and diced potatoes
  • 5 Alaskan Pollock fillets – cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 package 51-60 shrimp – cleaned, peeled and tail off
  • 1/4 cup White wine
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh Dill
  • 2 cups frozen Mixed vegetables
  • 1 tablespoon granulated Garlic
  • 3 1/2 cups Chicken stock
  • 1 cup quartered small Cremini mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup milk

Putting it all together:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 375
  2. Bring the potatoes to boil in a large pot of salted water
  3. When tender, about 15 minutes, mash with butter, milk and granulated garlic
  4. Melt the butter in a large stock pot and add the onions
  5. Cook the onions for about 3 minutes
  6. Add the flour to the butter and onions and mix until there are no lumps
  7. Slowly pour in the chicken stock and mix until you get the consistency you want
  8. Add the mushrooms and mixed vegetable and cook for about five minutes
  9. Add the fish and shrimp and cook until the fish is firm and the shrimp is pink, about 10 minutes
  10. Pour into individual ramekins or an oven proof casserole dish, top with the mashed potatoes and bake for 15 – 20 minutes

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time………..

                                 Bon Appetit

 

 

 

Seafood Alfredo with Proscuitto wrapped Asparagus

  • Servings: ”4-6″
  • Difficulty: ”medium”
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Pasta and Seafood…….. What’s not to love? Both are tasty, good for you and very easy to prepare and when you combine the two you can’t help but arrive at a very memorable meal. Oh and adding some proscuitto wrapped asparagus takes this already very tasty dish to a whole new level.

Before we go any further I do have to mention that my ever lovely and talented daughter Alison was a tremendous help in putting this whole dish together and I could not have pulled this one off without her…….. Kudos kiddo. Thanks for the help.

Here’s how we do this one………

Shopping List:

  • One bag 31-40 deveigned Shrimp
  • One bag Sea Scallops
  • 2 pounds live Mussels– scrubbed and de-bearded
  • One package Fettuccine noodles
  • 12-18 Asparagus stalks – trimmed of the woody end
  • 8-12 slices Proscuitto
  • 1/2 cup of butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Heavy cream
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiana cheese (I love Parmigiana so I use a lot)
  • Chopped parsley (optional)

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  2. Wrap 3-4 asparagus spears in one or two slices of the proscuitto
  3. Place the asparagus on a sheet tray and pop in the oven until the proscuitto is crisp and the asparagus is tender – about 15 minutes
  4. In a large sauce pan melt the butter being careful not to burn it
  5. Stir in the heavy cream
  6. Add the parmigiana and blend until smooth. With this step it is advised to remove the sauce from the heat so the cheese does not clump
  7. In a separate pan saute the shrimp until pink and the scallops until firm
  8. Steam the mussels until they open – about 4 minutes. Discard any that do not open
  9. Cook the pasta according to the package directions
  10. Add the pasta, shrimp and scallops to the sauce and mix well
  11. Plate the pasta and sauce mix
  12. Place the mussels around the edge of the plate and put the asparagus in the middle
  13. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley if desired and enjoy.

There you have it—– another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                      Bon Appetit

 

Korean take out

 

 

 

Korean take out

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About a week ago I was running late for my Pool League and did not have time to eat before I left home and so about mid way through the evening I discovered that I was starving but the only thing the pool hall has to eat, besides potato chips and the like, is deep fried “bar food”. You know the stuff……. Mozzarella sticks, battered mushrooms, french fries and the ever popular Chicken Fingers! Now seeing as how I work in a fast food joint that sells chicken wings, chicken fingers etc and it’s all deep fried what are the odds that I would order deep fried fare from a pool hall? My search for dinner was on and since the pool hall allows its patrons to bring in their own food it was just a matter of deciding on what I wanted.

I’m not a picky eater per say but there are some things I don’t particularly like but will have it when there is nothing else on the menu. Things such as Shwarma, Wraps and Pizza (yeah yeah I can here the howls now “how can you not like pizza?”—– I will eat it but it’s not my go to food) and there are a ton of these places within a short walk of the pool hall but none of these appealed to me so I decided to do a Guy Fieri and keep my eye out for a funky little joint with something different on the menu. Well this little jaunt led me to Shinla Garden which is a tiny hole in the wall Korean place and when I say tiny I mean if it seats 15 I’ll eat your hat and the great thing is it’s only a 6 minute walk from the pool hall.

Upon entering the restaurant one is made aware of just how unpretentious the place is with its plain decor, minimal wall art and simple hostess desk but that’s fine with me because I am there for the food not the ambiance and with the aromas that hit me smack in the face when I enter I know already that I have made the right choice. I was greeted warmly by the owner who handed me a take out menu and a small cup of green tea which is not something I have experienced in any other take out establishment and helped to endear me to this place even more. The menu is small in comparison to most other places I’ve been, 28 items in total, and besides having the usual suspects, Fried Rice, Korean BBQ Beef Ribs, Stir Fries , they also had some more exotic style Korean dishes. Things like, Traditional Korean Rice cakes in Hot Sauce, Traditional Korean Seafood Soft Tofu Soup, and the one I settled for Korean Style handmade Noodles in Black Bean Sauce with Shrimp and Vegetables…….. Can you say Jackpot?

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Saying this dish was to die for would be an understatement. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, the noodles were a little clumpy but it was the end of the night so I can forgive that one. The Kimchi was crunchy with just enough heat to announce its presence and the Black Bean sauce was the perfect foil to tie it all together.

When I got back to the pool hall with a truck load of food, all at a cost of $17.00, the aroma had everyone drooling and asking where I got it from. Looks like this place will be getting more business in the future. I know I will be going back and if you are ever in Waterloo Region in Southern Ontario I strongly suggest you drop into this funky little place and treat yourself to some simply awesome Korean food…. you won’t be disappointed.

That’s it for now but remember to keep those peepers open for those hidden gems because you never know where your next culinary adventure will begin.

Until next time…………

 

             Bon Appetite 

 

 

 

 

Seafood Chowder

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Woke up this morning and even before I opened my eyes I felt a disturbance in the force. Okay it was more like something was up and when I did venture a peek I found I was right……. it was dark, gloomy and the threat of rain was in the air AGAIN!!— it’s only been like this for three days now and I mean seriously— it’s August— we are supposed to have great weather so get with it mother nature.

 Sorry crummy weather makes me cranky and what better way to combat crummy weather than to create a dish that chases the gloomies away and fills your tummy with happy happy joy joy feelings….  where are these movie quotes coming from?

Anyways, my go to gloomy day vanisher is SOUP and one of my all time favorites is Seafood Chowda or Chowder for those outside of New England. There is just something about a good flavorful bowl of soup that makes everything right in the world….. okay maybe not everything but it comes darn close. So without further ado and no more movie quotes I bring to you my version of Seafood Chowder.

Ingredients:

One bag 32-40 shrimp cut in half – 32-40 refers to the number of shrimp per pound so these would be about medium in size

15 to 20 Sea Scallops

Two to three fish fillets cut in one inch squares- I use Tilapia because it is a nice white but firm fleshed fish

Two Celery stalks chopped

One medium white onion – diced

Two pounds baby yellow potatoes – quartered

Six cups chicken stock

1/2 cup All Purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

Cilantro for garnish

Two tablespoons Canola oil or whatever oil you like to use

Three tablespoons Old Bay seasoning – this is a seafood seasoning so if you use a different kind then go for it.

Putting it all together:

In a large stock pot heat the oil and the butter and saute the onions until transparent- about two minutes

Add the flour and whisk until the oil and butter has clumped (that’s one of those fancy culinary terms) together with the flour and onion

Whisk in the chicken broth a little at a time – I say a little at a time because then you can control how thick the broth will be

When you first whisk in the chicken broth it will appear thin but don’t worry it will thicken as it heats

Add in the celery, potatoes and Old Bay and stir until well incorporated

Top with water until the potatoes are just covered – maybe a quarter inch or so

Bring to a boil, cover and then lower the heat to simmer

When the potatoes are just about fork tender add the fish

When the fish is firm add the shrimp and scallops and simmer until they are done (shrimp will be pink and the scallops firm)

Ladle the finished soup into a big bowl and sprinkle with Cilantro

If this flavorful dish does not chase away the gloomies then the only thing I can say is “go back to bed and yank the covers up over your head” because nothing is going to help.

Now you have another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond” to add to your culinary repertoire and I sincerely hope you enjoy it

So until next time………..

 

                                                      Bon Appetite

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shrimp and Grits

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I think the first time I heard reference to Grits was in an old John Wayne movie and the person talking about them turned his nose up and said they were basically gross. I didn’t give it any more thought until a few years ago when I started watching the Food Network, specifically Diners Drive Ins and Dives, and I started to see episodes where people were making Grits and I thought “Wait a minute. They don’t look gross” and a love affair with grits was born.

Now for the uninitiated Grits are merely coarse ground Corn Meal and a staple in any Southern, or in my case Northern, kitchen and they are a very versatile ingredient that can be made in many different ways but my absolute favorite is Shrimp and Grits.

Here’s my take on a classic Southern dish.

Ingredients:

–           1 cup stone-ground grits

–           Salt and pepper

–           1/4 cup butter

–           2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

–           1 pound shrimp, 35-40 peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large

–           6 slices smoked bacon, chopped into tiny pieces

–           4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

–           2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

–           1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts

–           1/2 Medium white onion, diced

–           1 large garlic clove, minced

–           2 Tablespoons corn flour

–           1 Tsp of Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning and Smoked Paprika

–           4 Cups chicken broth

Directions:

–           For the Grits bring 4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the broth is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.

–           Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the diced onion and garlic to the bacon grease. Add two tablespoons corn flour and mix well. Let the flour cook out before adding enough chicken stock to make a roux to your liking. Mix in the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay and Smoked Paprika and bacon and blend well. Add the shrimp and sauté over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Remove the skillet from the heat.

–           Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits and garnish with chopped green onion

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I thank you for dropping by.

Bon Appetit