I decided that this week we would eat whatever is on hand Monday through Wednesday. Thursday my parents arrive and I will be cooking up a storm Friday and Saturday! I was looking through our freezer and found some leftover shrimp. I searched online for a yummy seafood sauce and a lemon garlic butter sauce caught my eye. It fit the bill, it looked easy and I could prepare it with ingredients I already had in my kitchen. I did have to adapt it a bit because I didn't have fresh herbs but I think it turned out great! I also halved the amount of butter because yikes, the original recipe called for a TON of butter!
I served the shrimp over brown rice. A little tip- use equal parts water and chicken stock. This makes for much tastier rice! Skip the butter option altogether.
Shrimp with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper
Heat olive oil over medium heat in non-stick pan. Dredge the shrimp in flour, shake off excess. Fry in olive oil until golden brown. Remove, let rest on paper towel.
Melt the butter in the pan. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the oregano, remove from heat. Carefully add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over shrimp.
I came up with these during the early days of my relationship with Peter. I was off for the summer and he invited me over to his place for an afternoon by the pool and then an early dinner. I was trying to impress so I offered to make dinner. As soon as I got off the phone I panicked because I had not been to the grocery store and quite honestly, had no idea what to make anyway. These were the days when I thought heating black beans out of a can was cooking. I managed to find all of the ingredients, minus the shrimp so I made a quick trip to the store, and just kind of winged it. I love that I can prepare the spread overnight and then the next day I can make dinner in less than twenty minutes. Peter and I really enjoy these tacos and they have been in the rotation ever since that lovely summer afternoon.
We have always eaten the tacos with a side of black beans with cilantro and lime. Tonight I wanted to try something new. I had some leftover corn from Thanksgiving so I went searching online for a yummy corn sidedish. I found inspiration here and there. I made a few adjustments and I think it turned out really well!
I think I know my husband pretty well. I know what he likes, what he dislikes, what to NEVER say to him, etc... One thing I didn't know was that he hates corn. Whaaaaat??? I had no idea. He made a funny face when I put the corn on his plate but I knew he would be nice and at least try it. He ate the tacos first and then slowly reached for the fork and put the teeniest bit of corn in his mouth. I was waiting for a "sorry babe, I just don't like corn" but he took another bite, then a bigger one and then a whole forkful. That corn was gone in under a minute. I felt victorious! I asked him if there was anything else he thought he hated that I could possibly cook for him and hopefully change his mind. He "hates" eggplant so watch for an eggplant post in the near future. I welcome the challenge.
Shrimp Tacos
1 pound EZ peel shrimp, cleaned, deveined
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped
1 clove garlic
1 small lime
4 whole wheat tortillas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Combine the onion, cilantro, garlic, juice from one half of the lime and the extra virgin olive oil in a mini food processor. Pulse until a pesto like substance forms. Add more extra virgin olive oil if necessary. In a large storage container completely coat the shrimp in the spread. Store in the refrigerator for at least two hours. You can also let them sit overnight.
Divide the remaining tablespoon of butter into fourths. On medium heat drop one on the fourths of butter in the pan and coat both sides of the tortilla in butter. Then leave the tortilla in the pan until in begins to puff, turn over and repeat on the other side. Repeat for each tortilla. Keep warm in a basket or tortilla warmer.
In a large saute pan heat the remaining tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Add the shrimp and cilantro spread to the pan. Cook until the shrimp are pink. This should only take a few minutes. Stuff each tortilla with 4-6 shrimp, depending on size of the shrimp and top with any remaining spread. Serve warm.
Spicy Corn
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Peter's favorite)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients, except the oil. Add the oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Saute the corn mixture in the oil for 5-6 minutes. Serve warm.
A few weeks ago we hosted a housewarming party at our new place in Denver. It was a ton of fun but for me, the best part was all the cooking I did before the big event! I made goat cheese tomatoes, truffled potatoes, sliders, chocolate cupcakes and pigs in a blanket...er, puff pastry. It was my first time working with frozen puff pastry and I WAY overbought. I left the extra in the freezer hoping that one day I would stumble across a good puff pastry recipe. Last week I bought the current issue of Real Simple and there it was, a yummy puff pastry idea! I decided to make these as an appetizer for one of our Friday date nights. P loved them and they were able to tide him over until dinner was ready.
The original recipe served 20 so I drastically altered the amounts to just serve the two of us. I am not much of a baker so instead of using a 2-inch cookie cutter (that I don't own) I simply used a pizza cutter to divide the pastry into squares. I figure it probably doesn't affect the taste!
Crab and Chive Puffs
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh chives, plus more for garnish
juice of 1/2 large lemon
sea salt
black pepper
1/4 pound lump crabmeat
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 1 inch squares. Place on a greased baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Fold in crab.
Dividing evenly, spoon the crab mixture onto the pastry squares.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the pastries are golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
When my husband and I first started dating he was the cook in this relationship. I had always wanted to feel comfortable in the kitchen but I didn't grow up cooking and it all seemed so overwhelming to me! P showed me how to make this simple salmon dish and I took over from there. It quickly became our go-to dinner during busy weeknights. I tried a variety of side dishes until a little experimenting led to a yummy sweet potato surprise. A short while later I added the green beans and the rest was history!
Until recently I wouldn't have gone anywhere near a green bean...just ask my college roommate. The thought of green beans out of a can (that was the only kind I knew) made me shudder. Then about a year ago I dined at Hubbell and Hudson in The Woodlands, Texas. Someone at the table ordered a side of haricot verts and I was hooked. I had no idea green beans could be that yummy! I quickly discovered them at Whole Foods and they soon became part of the dinner rotation in our house. I think I like them more than P does but that's ok with me!
I feel like I have come a long way since that first salmon dinner night but this will always remind me of when our relationship was new. We don't eat this dish as much as we used to, which was VERY often for a while, but P says this is still one of his favorites!
Baked Salmon
2 Atlantic salmon filets- about 6 oz each, skin on
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small lemon- sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
sea salt
cracked black pepper
Tear off one sheet of aluminum foil, about 10 inches wide. Use half of the tablespoon of olive oil to grease the foil and the other half to grease the salmon skin. Lay the salmon side-by-side skin down on the foil. Create a "boat" around the salmon, turning the sides up (about and inch and a half on each side) and twisting the foil but do not cover the top of the salmon.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the salmon boat on a broiling pan on the center rack. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
Remove the salmon after 8 minutes, top with butter and two lemon slices. Place salmon back in the oven and set the timer for 6 minutes.
Check the salmon after 6 minutes. An instant read thermometer should read about 115 degrees. Lift the aluminum foil sides to cover the salmon and set aside for about five minutes.
After five minutes remove foil, sprinkle sea salt and cracked pepper, serve and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
sea salt
cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line baking pan with greased aluminum foil.
Wash sweet potatoes, do not peel. Cut into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Place sliced sweet potatoes in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Mix with the sweet potatoes until completely coated with oil. Spread the sweet potatoes onto the baking pan in a single layer.
Cook for 30-35 minutes, until tips of the sweet potatoes begin to brown. Serve warm.
Easy Green Beans
1/2 package (about 6 oz) haricot verts, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
Add 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of a small bowl and place green beans on top. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove, drain water from bowl.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add garlic. Let simmer for about two minutes and then add green beans. Saute for 5-7 minutes before green beans become too soft. Serve warm.
