Spicy Peel and Eat Shrimp

My husband and I live on a cul-de-sac, and when we first moved in we met a few of our neighbors, but not all of them. We decided to have a block party and invite all the neighbors to get to know one another. It was a huge success and one of the most wonderful surprises was a Portuguese couple that lived at the end of the cul-de-sac. This older, retired couple was frequently seen, but no one had actually met them. They showed up at the block party bearing a dish that was absolutely divine. It was a spicy shrimp dish that for me was like crack. In an effort not to piss off my neighbors I restrained myself and ate only a 1/4 of the dish instead of the whole thing. A few weeks later I was craving shrimp, but I had never gotten the recipe from the Portuguese couple. So I began deconstructing the recipe as best I could from memory. What I created was similar but not quite the same. I made the dish for our New Years eve party and it was such a hit I had to run back in the kitchen and make some more. I made the dish again a few weeks later when I friend (Superstar) was coming over and between the two of us, we devoured an entire pound of spicy shrimp. I did eventually get the originally recipe from the Portuguese couple and I might share that later on down the road.

I'm still learning how to make good food pics. Sorry.



So I present to you, my own concoction of spicy shrimp.



Ingredients


7.75oz can of El Pato
1/2 Stick of butter
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Gricio work best - Zinfandel's are too sweet)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb peal and eat shrimp, raw
1 loaf french or sourdough bread (optional)

Instructions

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a sauce pan and stir until butter is melted. Using a medium to large frying pan, saute shrimp in olive oil until just pink. Reduce heat to low, combine shrimp and sauce in pan and cook for 10 minutes. Pour entire mix into a round casserole dish to serve.

Slice the loaf of bread into 1/2 thick pieces and dip in the remaining sauce for another tasty treat.

Irish Cream Cheese Cake

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Back in the day, some friends and I would always get together on St. Patrick's Day and have a pot luck. One year I was designated to bring desert. I was on a cheese cake kick and descided to make an Irish Cream Cheese cake. I searched all over (this is looooong before there were food blogs, and on-line recipe finders) and could not for the life of me find a recipe, so made up my own.

Ingredients

9" spring form cake pan

Filling

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Crust

8 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a food processor, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, whipping cream, vanilla and liquer. Pulse until thoroughly mixed. Next combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl, mix together using a fork. Once the butter, sugar and crumbs are thoroughly mixed, press them into the bottom of your cake pan. Bake crust for 10minutes to make firm. Once your crust is done baking allow to cool for a few minutes. Add filling to your cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 and a quarter hour, or until center is firm.

If you want to decorate your cheese cake mix some powdered sugar with green food coloring. It's easiest to mix with a fork. Be careful not to add too much food coloring or your sugar will get soggy. Then sprinkle over your cheese cake using a small strainer. To do this place your green sugar in the strainer then tap it with a fork or knife as you sprinkle it over your cake.

Serve with a cold pint of Guinness, and enjoy!

Portabello Pizza

Back when I was a starving college student I discovered that it was much cheaper to make my own pizza and typically I didn't have to wait as long either. Not to mention I could add what ever fresh toppings I wanted and I wouldn't be told by some pimple faced kid that each topping would cost an additional $ .99

So yesterday, I had a hankerin' to make myself a pizza. I grabbed the bag of pizza dough mix and some veggies from the fridge and discovered much to my dismay that I had no pizza sauce. GASP! I quickly checked the pantry and all I could find was a 6 oz can of tomato paste. Hhhmm a challenge you say? I accept! In no time at all I was munchin' on some delicious Portabello Pizza.

Here's what ya need:

6.5 oz packet Martha White Pizza Crust mix

12" Pizza Pan

Sauce:

6 oz can tomato paste
3/4 cup hot water
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Splenda or Sugar
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Rosemary

Pizza topping:

1/2 Tomato
1/2 Portabello Mushroom
1/8 Red Onion
2 1/2 cups finely shredded Mozarella cheese
2 tbsp Parmasean Cheese

Instructions:

Start your sauce first. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and stir until well blended. Leave on the stove over low heat for 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to merge.

Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. (If cooking with a gas oven I suggest turning the heat down to 450) While the oven is preheating prepare your toppings. To clean your Portabello mushroom simply wipe it down with a damp paper towel. You don't want to wash it under water as it will absorb the water and get mushy. Now slice your tomato, mushroom and onion into 1/8" thick slices. Cut the portabello again into quarters. This may seem like a lot of mushrooms but remember that mushrooms shrink when cooked. Set aside.

Prepair the dough as directed. The dough won't congeal totally, but once you start shaping it into a ball it should all bind together. If not, add water to the dough one tsp at a t ime until the dough sticks together. If the dough is too sticky add a little flower. Pay attention to the time! Don't let your dough sit for too long or it will be ruined.

When spreading your dough out in your pizza pan don't be afraid if it doesn't look perfect. If you have a hard time getting your dough to spread out to the edges use a rolling pin. I found it helpful to position the rolling pin like a clock hand and roll it clockwise around the pan once I had spread the dough out as far as I could with my fingers.

Bake the dough for 5 minutes (per package directions). To make clean up easier place the pizza pan on a rack over a counter top to add your toppings. Using a large spoon spread your pizza sauce all around your dough, not too thick, but enough to give it a fair layer of sauce. Using 2 cups of the Mozarella spread the cheese evenly over the sauce. Next add your toppings. When you are finished with your toppings use the remaining 1/2 of cheese to sprinkle over the top. I like to take a brick of Parmesean and do a very thin sprinkling of freshly grated cheese on the top.

Place your pizza on the bottom rack and cook for 9 minutes. Keep an eye on your pizza, once the edges start getting golden, take the pizza out of the oven. I was preoccupied with my daughter and my dough got a little over cooked.

Once the timer goes off or the edges are golden remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.

My crust turned out over cooked for two reasons, #1. I forgot that with a gas oven things cook more efficiently and therefore don't need to be cooked at as high a temp or as long and #2. I wasn't checking my crust as I was busy feeding my daughter.

Even though my crust got a little over cooked, the pizza still turned out superb, I'll definately be making some more pizzas. Yum!

Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp

The first recipe I learned to cook was my dad's fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. My dad is an excellent cook and for many years I simply assumed that my mom could not cook because she didn't. My dad loves rich foods and bold tastes, so when he made his version of alfredo he didn't mess around.

A few years back I decided to make this for a girl friend of mine. She wanted to have a dinner party but didn't know how to cook and I wanted to have a dinner party but lived in an apartment, so we decided to co-hostess. The day of the event we went grocery shopping together and she suggested we split the list so we could get out of there fast. It was at that moment that I realized my friend had no clue what was in store for her. She asked me which aisle she would find the "can of alfredo sauce." I stood in stunned silence for a few seconds and then burst into uncontrolled laughter. I informed her that we were making the sauce from scratch and she replied "you can do that?" I was floored. I knew my friend didn't cook but I had know idea how kitchen challenged she was.

Later on while making the sauce at my friends house I asked her for a whisk. With blank, blinking doe eyes, she asked me in all seriousness, "what's a whisk?" Once again I found myself laughing uncontrollably and trying to explain to my dear friend what a whisk looked like. I described it as looking like a light bulb made out of wire. She jumped up and down excitedly and said "Oh! I have one of those." Too funny!! This woman is no idiot, she's the VP of a HUGE financial company, she went to Berkley for cripes sake!

Anyway, I have modified Dad's recipe to make it a little less fattening, but the results are still the same, simple, delicious fettuccine alfredo you're going to LOVE.

Ingredients:

8 oz whole grain fettuccine noodles (Barilla makes an excellent tasting version. Dad always liked to use a combination of regular and spinach fettuccine because it tastes great and looks yummy.)

1/2 pin Fat Free Half and Half (Dad uses full loaded, however it is virtually impossible to tell the difference)

4 oz unsalted butter

2 oz finely grated Parmesan

2 oz finely grated Romano (most recipes only call for Parmesan, however Dad likes to buck the system. Plus Romano has a wonderfully rich taste that really adds to the sauce.)

1lb medium shrimp, raw, peeled, tails off *

A couple sprigs of fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Cook your fettuccine according to package directions adding a pinch of salt to the water. While waiting for the water to boil start grating your cheeses. Combine the cheeses together and set them aside. Cut the butter into cubes, so it melts faster. Combine the cream, butter, and cheeses in a medium sauce pan. Place in on the stove over medium, stir ingredients until butter melts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, just to keep the sauce warm, continue to stir occasionally so your cheese doesn't clump at the bottom of the pan. A whisk works excellent.

Using a medium skillet, saute shrimp until they are pink. I like to coat my pans with extra virgin olive oil. I have this wonderful sprayer I can put my evo in and it sprays just like Pam, but it's healthier! Dad likes to saute the shrimp in 2 tbsp of butter, but I think that adds unnecessary calories and fat, so I just use olive oil.

Once your shrimp are ready combine your pasta and your sauce and toss. Once your fettuccine is well coated add the shrimp and gently fold them into the pasta to get them coated with the sauce as well. Tossing works best, if you use a spoon be very gentle or you will break apart your shrimp.

Arrange your pasta on the plate and sprinkle with the fresh minced parsley. I like to serve my fettuccine with freshly steamed broccoli, but it's your dinner, make it your own.

* If you are not partial to or are allergic to shell fish, I would recommend substituting with grilled chicken, or immitation crab chunks. Or just plain leave it all out and just have the fettuccine Alfredo.

Product Review: Vegetable Steamer

When I first saw this item at my local Target I was intrigued. I had previously been using the microwave to cook my veggies to save time, which really wasn't working well. Microwaving vegetables makes them kinda mushy and bland. I was also eyeing the rice cooking feature of the device. I like to make a lot of brown and long grain/wild rice to go with my dishes, but my rice was always...wrong. It never quite tasted right. Before I purchased the steamer I did my homework. I checked it out on epinions and read as many product reviews as I could find, including the reviews on Target.com and other sites. The reviews were mixed, but one thing stood out to me, which was that most of the issues stemmed from user error, or misunderstanding of what steaming entailed. Some complaints centered around getting a nasty steam burn lifting the lid off. Personally I found this to be kinda silly. It's quite obvious where the steam vents are in the lid and how to avoid them. The only way to get a steam burn is by 'absent mindedly' placing ones hands directly over the steam vent.


After reading the reviews I booked it down to Target and picked up my Oster 6.1 Qt Food Steamer. It comes with a basic usage book as well as a book filled with meal ideas. You can steam anything but your clothes in this bad boy and it does an excellent job. I found it quite easy to avoid the steam burn issue by not placing my hands over the vents. The steamer comes with two steam baskets and a small tray for foods like rice, cous cous, etc... Using the steaming guide you simply fill up the bottom of the steamer with the necessary amount of water and set the timer. A wonderful feature on this steamer is that it has a warming fuction, therefor when your timer has gone off the steamer will kick it down a notch and keep your food warm until you remove it from the machine. However, you food will still cook a little so I would advise removing your food promptly if it is sensitive to slight overcooking.


If you have never had steamed food before, especially vegetables, you might be surprised at the difference in taste. Boiling or microwaving vegetables degrades their taste, in some cases more than others. Don't be surprised if your favorite vegetables taste a bit different, and a lot more flavorful. Rice is a bit more, sticky, as it is meant to be. It took me some trial and error to discover the correct amount of time for each type of food, so I would suggest starting with the least amount of time for the food you want to cook and working forward in 5 minute increments.

This machine is very easy to clean up, just pop it in the dishwasher and voila! I'll post some of my steam recipes here in the future.

Happy Steaming!