Shrimp and Shells

This is by far my favorite pasta salad ever! This recipe makes a lot so keep in mind how many you are feeding when you prepare it. I cut the recipe in half and it was enough for about four people. Once assembled I used about half the dressing - which is just my preference.

Shrimp and Shells
Barefoot Contessa How East is That?

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
1 pound small pasta shells, such as Ronzoni
Kernels from 8 ears of corn (about 6 cups)
12 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 yellow or orange bell peppers, seeded and small-diced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2 pounds cooked shrimp, medium-diced
1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups minced fresh dill

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt and some olive oil. Add the pasta and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Add the corn to the pasta and cook it for another 2 minutes, until the corn is tender. Drain the pasta and corn together in a colander and pour them into a large mixing bowl. Add the scallions, diced pepper, tomatoes, and lobster, tossing gently to combine. Allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper until smooth. Pour over the pasta and mix well to bind the ingredients. Stir in the dill. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 6 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Check the seasonings and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Pasta with Creamy Pimenton Sauce

This is one of my favorite quick dinners. Its easy to make and always hits the spot. The flavor of the pimenton (smoked paprika) is delicious and special. I found it at Whole Foods and also use it on fish, chicken, and roasted veggies.

Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Pimenton Sauce
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (12 ounces)
4 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, halved
Coarse salt
1 pound shell pasta
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon pimenton
1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Gently toss tomatoes with thyme and 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; toss to combine. Roast until tomatoes are just broken down and zucchini is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, season shrimp with salt. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook shrimp, stirring occasionally, until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add cream, pimenton, red-pepper flakes, and roasted-tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer. Toss in pasta and reserved cooking liquid.

Roasted Shrimp Pasta Salad

On Sundays I am always looking for something I can make for weekday lunches. I made this for this week and so far so good. The recipe makes a lot - the perfect amount for a party. Next time I will half the recipe.

Roasted Shrimp Pasta Salad
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Peruvian Ceviche

Another great "Miami" food. This ceviche was delicioso! I used fresh Wahoo but any white fish will do as long as it is fresh and high quality. This version includes grilled corn to help offset the heat of the pepper. I didn't use the pepper but the corn brought great flavor to the mix.

Peruvian Fish and Shrimp Ceviche

1 pound medium shrimp (16/20 per pound), peeled and cleaned
2 pounds meaty white fish, boned and cut into large dice
½ red onion, minced
1 piece ginger (about 2 inches long), peeled, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 celery, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 - 2 ears of corn, grill with husk on
1/4 habanero, minced (no seeds or ribs), optional

Boil salted water. Have ice water ready on the side. Poach shrimp for just 30 seconds and cool in ice water and drain.

Combine shrimp with fish and toss with onion, ginger, garlic, hot pepper, celery, salt, and black pepper. Allow to cool in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Add juices and refrigerate 1 hour.

Finish with cilantro and corn, check seasoning and serve.

Shrimp Phad Thai

My friend Laura recently invited me to an Asian-themed pot luck dinner. I have had Phad Thai only a handful of times and every time it tasted like noodles drenched in peanut butter. Not so good. I don't have too much experience cooking Asian food and I was a bit skeptical as to how this would turn out.

This dish was light, flavorful, and easy to make!

This dish can easily become vegetarian - just substitute the shrimp for more tofu.

Shrimp Phad Thai
Adapted from Food Network

4 ounces medium-thick flat rice noodles
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Southeast Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup cubed firm tofu (about 6 ounces)
5 scallions (white and green parts), 3 cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 2 chopped
1 1/4 cups mung bean sprouts
1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped, plus additional for garnish
For serving: Lime wedges, Sri Racha sauce (Thai hot chili sauce)

Put the noodles in a medium bowl with hot water to cover. Soak until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Whisk the sugar with the fish sauce and vinegar in a small bowl.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot and add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil. Pour in the eggs, tilting the skillet as you pour to make a thin, even coating of egg. Cook until just set, about 45 seconds. Invert the eggs onto a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
Add another 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil to the same skillet and heat over high heat. Add the shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper flakes, and salt, to taste. Stir-fry until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil over high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and cook about 2 minutes more. Add the noodles and cook, tossing, until lightly coated with the garlic mixture, about 1 minute. Add the fish sauce mixture and large scallion pieces and heat through. Stir in the cooked egg and shrimp, 1 cup of the sprouts, and the 1/3 cup peanuts and toss until hot. Divide the Phad Thai among plates and top with the remaining sprouts, additional peanuts, and chopped scallions. Serve immediately with the lime wedges and Sri Racha.

Linguine in Saffron Cream Sauce

This is so good I made it three times in one week. First with scallops, then with shrimp, then plain as a side dish. I also made it once with Smart Balance butter and it came out just as delicious as with regular.

Linguine in a Saffron Cream Sauce

For the Saffron sauce:
1/3 cup finely minced shallots
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
1 pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Make the saffron sauce. In a heavy saucepan combine shallots and white wine. Reduce to 2 tablespoons and then add saffron threads and 1 to 2 tablespoons of cream. Place pan over high heat and whisk in butter a piece at a time, adding the next piece before the last one has completely melted, stirring constantly. Do not allow mixture to boil. Add fresh lemon juice and salt and white pepper to taste.

Summer Chowder

I love soup, even when it is 90 degrees outside. Not too many meals offer every flavor at once. All the ingredients of this soup are in season right now. It can be served warm or chilled and easily be converted into a vegetarian dish.



Summer Chowder

1 – 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, head-on large shrimp
3 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onions, peeled and chopped (about 1)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno (optional)
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped (or thyme)
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
3 – 3 ½ tomatoes, diced
3 cups frozen sweet corn kernels (1 16-oz bag)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Remove the shrimps’ tails, peels, and heads and place these in a large saucepan. Set aside the shrimp meat in a bowl for later use in this recipe. In the saucepan, boil the shrimp tails, peels, and heads with the water and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and set aside for later use in this recipe.

In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil on medium-high heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the celery, chopped bell pepper, minced jalapeno pepper, and tarragon. Sauté for two additional minutes. Reduce the burner heat to medium, sprinkle on the flour, stir well, and sauté for two additional minutes. Gradually add, stirring continuously, the cubed tomatoes and the strained shrimp broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the corn kernels to the mixture in the Dutch oven and simmer for an additional three minutes. Add the reserved raw shrimp, parsley, cream, salt, and pepper. Simmer for an additional two minutes or until the shrimp is no longer translucent. Taste and correct the seasoning, if needed, by adding salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper, to taste.