seafood

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

by Lisa on December 19, 2011

Let’s take a short break from cookies and sweets today, shall we? Don’t worry, I’m nowhere near done with my holiday baking but we do need to eat real meals too!

A couple of years ago, Jeromy and I attempted to cook every recipe in Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis within a year. We didn’t succeed, but we did find this recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo that we have come back to over and over again.

Last week, I was looking for something filling but not too heavy and quick to prepare. Caroline’s bedtime coincides with our dinner time so we’re almost always eating after she goes to bed. Some nights, if I’m really on top of my game, we can eat dinner between the time Jeromy gets home and when we start Caroline’s bedtime routine. Since that doesn’t happen very often {eek}, quick meals are pretty essential in our house.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Serves 4 {or 2 very hungry adults, with some leftovers}

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
5 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
5 tablespoons basil, chopped

Method

In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high then add the shrimp and sauté until cooked through.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the shrimp back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir to combine then remove from the heat. Add in the parsley and basil; season to taste with salt.

Serve with a baguette for soaking up the juice.

If you like your dishes less spicy, go easy on the red pepper flakes.

I hate to admit it, but I prepared the full recipe for us instead of cutting it in half {I accidentally bought the full amount of shrimp} and we ate almost all of it. Let’s just keep that between us.

I love how the freshness of the parsley and basil balances out the spice from the red pepper flakes.

A quiet dinner for two. After the baby goes to bed.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Italian.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
5 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
5 tablespoons basil, chopped

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high then add the shrimp and sauté until cooked through.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the shrimp back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir to combine then remove from the heat. Add in the parsley and basil; season to taste with salt.

Serve with a baguette for soaking up the juice.

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Viva Mexico! {Fish Tacos}

by Lisa on October 11, 2011

We experienced a bit of a heat wave in Northern Virginia over the weekend and it left me craving something light and refreshing. Fish tacos with quick & easy salsa fit the bill!

Ingredients

1 pound tilapia fillets, skin removed {or another flaky white fish}
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1/2 of a Serrano pepper, coarsely chopped {can also use a jalapeno pepper. If using a jalapeno, use the entire thing}
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
corn tortillas
quick & easy salsa {recipe below}

Method

Combine the canola oil, lime juice, ancho chili powder, Serrano pepper and cilantro. Pour over the tilapia and let marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a grill pan or a cast iron skillet with a splash of canola oil. Then add the fish, cook for 4 minutes, flip then cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for five minutes before flaking.

Serve on top of warmed corn tortillas {wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds} with sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa and cilantro leaves.

{Quick & Easy Salsa}

Ingredients

3 tomatoes, cored and quartered
3 tomatillos, cored and halved
1 clove of garlic
1/2 of a Serrano pepper, seeded and ribs removed
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the tomatillos and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove to an ice bath.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until desired consistency. Chill until the tacos are ready to serve.

These tacos were so light and refreshing, they were exactly what I was craving—I’m not sure I believe in light meals in the winter!

Serving with avocado, sour cream and salsa is just a suggestion—make these tacos your own!

Enjoy!

Fish recipe adapted from Bobby Flay. Salsa recipe is original.

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Simply Summer {Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad}

by Lisa on July 17, 2011

Smoked salmon is literally one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, when you’re pregnant, you’re not supposed to eat smoked fish unless it’s cooked. For me, that kind of defeats the purpose of eating smoked salmon but last week I really wanted some. So I threw together this simple pasta salad.

To make it pregnant-friendly, I poached the smoked salmon in water so that it would keep it’s flavor. You could poach it in wine or oil if you want, but I wanted to keep it simple and true to flavor.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of farfalle pasta
1 package smoked salmon {about 8 ounces}
asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces (a 12 oz. package or so}
12-16 grape tomatoes, quartered
2 ears of corn, boiled
2 whole scallions, sliced thin
2 lemons, juiced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
handful of basil, chiffonade

Method

Bring a pot of water, preferably with a colander in it, to a boil. Salt when it comes to a boil and add the corn. Boil for 5-8 minutes. Remove the corn.

Bring the water back to a boil and quickly blanch the asparagus for 1-2 minutes so it keeps its crunch. I find that very thin asparagus works well in this recipe. Remove the asparagus and place in a bowl {if you have some time, put the asparagus in an ice bath, I skipped this step}.

Once the asparagus is done, bring the water back to a boil, salt liberally and add the farfalle. Prepare the farfalle according to package directions, until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate pan, bring water to a boil {enough to cover the salmon}. Add the salmon and poach for about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the water, flake with a fork and add to the bowl.

Cut the corn off the cob and add to the bowl with the asparagus. Chop the tomatoes and scallions and add to the bowl.

Drain the pasta and add to the bowl.

To prepare the dressing, juice 2 lemons and whisk the juice together with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the rest of the ingredients, add the basil and mix well to combine.

Serve warm or cold {I prefer warm}.

For a dish I threw together at 9:30 pm, this was surprisingly delicious.

Jeromy and I each had 2 servings and ate it the next day for lunch.

Experiment with different flavor combinations-use the vegetables you have on hand-make this recipe your own!

Enjoy!

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Family Recipe {Sitoo’s Stuffed Shrimp}

by Lisa on July 5, 2011

My Sitoo {Arabic for grandmother} is a phenomenal cook. My mom always tells me about the meals my Sitoo made when she was young and they sound amazing.

My grandparents lived in a big house not too far from us growing up so we’d often stop by unannounced. At this time, it was just my Sitoo and Jidoo living in the house but as soon as we walked in the door the entire kitchen table would be full of food. Just things Sitoo had on hand. It was pretty incredible and showed me from an early age what to do when company arrives unexpectedly—feed them!

This picture was taken the morning of my wedding. Not our best looks, but it’s one of my favorite pictures of me and my Sitoo.

She’s not going to be very happy when she sees that one

Anyways, Sitoo doesn’t really cook now that she lives in her senior dorm and all of her meals are provided for her. Luckily, I have some of her recipes to make myself. One of my favorite dishes that Sitoo made is stuffed shrimp. Years ago when I asked her for the recipe she said it was pretty much a little of this and a little of that, she didn’t have anything written down. Sadly, I never wrote down what she did while I watched her make it. Lucky for me, I mentioned this to one of my aunts and she had written down the recipe while watching Sitoo right after she got married in 1976. She still has the recipe and shared it with me. Naturally, I had to make it right away.

{Sitoo’s Stuffed Shrimp}

Ingredients {Serves 2, plus a little leftover}

1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 roll Ritz crackers, crumbled
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stick, diced {or less, depending on how much onion—it should be in even amounts}
1/4 lb butter {1 stick}, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the softened butter and garlic.

Chop the onion and celery.

Melt about half of the garlic butter in a pan and sauté the onion and celery until soft, but not browned. Then add the crumbled Ritz crackers and mix well to combine and add the lemon juice. The mixture will look very dry, but that’s how it should be. {Sitoo told me tonight that she would also add a splash of sherry wine at this point; next time I will do that. As she described it, just enough to make you think, “oh, there’s a little sherry in this” but not more than that.} Remove from the heat after 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the rest of the garlic butter in a separate pan and pour into a baking dish. Rinse the shrimp and place in one layer in the baking dish.

Spread the stuffing over the shrimp in an even layer. If these shrimp were extra large or jumbo, they’d be big enough to stuff, but since these were not that big I prepared the shrimp as a baked dish. The flavor is the same either way.

Pop this in the oven for 30 minutes. When it’s done, the top will be nice and brown and the shrimp will be pink and cooked through.

This dish is the epitome of comfort food for me. It reminds me of my Sitoo and spending time with her in her kitchen.

I wouldn’t eat this every day, or even every week, I don’t want to even think about all of the butter in this dish. But occasionally, indulging is okay. Especially when it’s a family recipe.

Sitoo called tonight to see how this dish turned out and I told her how much we loved it.

Of course, it’ll never be exactly the same as when Sitoo makes it—it’s her creation and she included poultry seasoning in the stuffing {which I didn’t have on hand}. But when I want a dish that will feel like home, it’s nice to know this one is there for me. Thank you, Sitoo, I love you!

Enjoy!

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Eating In {Recreating a Masterpiece}

by Lisa on March 11, 2011

There was a salad at the Daily Grill that I fell in love with years ago. It’s no longer on the menu, which I really can’t understand because it was a truly delicious salad. And I know I wasn’t the only person that ordered it, I always saw other people eating it too! If you like shrimp, spinach, mushrooms and bacon, you should not go through life without trying this salad. My recreation involves several steps but believe me when I tell you each and every one is worth it. The layers of flavors are fantastic. Make this for dinner as soon as you can!

{Blackened Shrimp Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette}

Serves 2 for dinner

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach
2-3 slices of bacon
one red onion, sliced thin {use to taste}
1 container of cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/2-3/4 pound of shrimp
2 eggs
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
olive oil
salt
pepper
red wine vinegar
a generous 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method:

1) Rinse the shrimp with cool water and pat dry. Place the shrimp in a bowl with a splash of olive oil and a tablespoon or more of Old Bay. Mix until all of the shrimp is well-coated. Set aside.

2) Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot and allow to sit for 13 minutes. Run the eggs under cool water to stop the cooking process and to make peeling the shell off easier. Peel the eggs, discard the shells then chop the eggs. Set aside.

3) Slice the bacon into quarter inch pieces and add to a large skillet.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Place the bacon on a wire rack covered with a paper towel to drain. Pour the bacon fat into a glass measuring cup and set aside.

4) Next, add some olive oil and a couple of drops of the rendered bacon fat to the pan and heat over medium. Add the thickly sliced mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Allow mushrooms to brown but not cook enough to release all of their juices. Remove from the pan and set aside.

5) Next step is to quickly pickle the onions. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan and the thinly sliced red onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until the onions are well-coated but not browned. Add 2-3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar to the onions. Stir well until the onions have absorbed the vinegar. As soon as the vinegar is absorbed, remove from the heat and set aside.

6) The star of this dish is the blackened shrimp. The pan has received a lot of attention throughout this recipe so it’ll be nice and warmed up. Add the shrimp to the pan as well as more Old Bay to taste. Cook until the shrimp is opaque, turning once.

7) The final ingredient to the salad is the warm bacon vinaigrette. In a small sauce pan, combine the rest of the rendered bacon fat, the dijon mustard and 3-4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Bring all ingredients to a boil and whisk to emulsify. After boiling for 1 minute, remove the vinaigrette from the heat and stir in the bacon.

8) Now it’s getting exciting. Assemble the salad! Place a bed of baby spinach on a plate. Arrange half of the shrimp on the spinach. Sprinkle with the mushrooms, red onions and chopped egg. Finally, pour the warm vinaigrette over the salad being sure to include the bacon.

My husband told me he was pretty skeptical about this plate. He wasn’t sure how all of the flavors would go together but he was hooked after one bite! Needless to say, we both cleaned our plates.

I love knowing that even though this salad is no longer available at Daily Grill, I can still make it whenever I want. Have you ever recreated your favorite dish from a restaurant? What was it? Share in the comments!

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