Rock Shrimp Scampi

This is a recipe from Gina at Ecco la Cuccina (http://www.eccolacucina.com).


Mom's Rock Shrimp Pasta
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3lb rock shrimp
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Hot pepper flakes, to taste
1 tbsp parsley, minced
1 teas dried basil (it's my mom's recipe)
1 teas dried oregano
1 teas sea salt
1 lb spaghettini or 1 ½ lb angel hair pasta

Directions:
Clean the rock shrimp:  take each tail and cut it lengthwise through the legs, taking out the sandy vein.  Butterfly each tail, it's okay if you cut all the way through as long as the halves are joined at the tail. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small saucepan.  Add the garlic and hot pepper and take it off the heat.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

Taking each rock shrimp by the tail, dip them one at a time into the butter and oil, then lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan.  Pour the remaining sauce onto the tails.  Broil for 5 minutes until done.  Meanwhile, cook spaghettini or angel hair pasta until al dente and place in a large pasta bowl.  Pour the rock shrimp directly onto the bowl of pasta and toss, drizzling additional olive oil to finish.

If you can't find rock shrimp, substitute regular shrimp, shell and devein.  Heat the oil in a sauté pan with the garlic and hot pepper, add the remaining ingredients and then the shrimp.  Toss and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes until cooked through, toss with pasta and serve.

Mashed Winter Squash with Mascarpone

Ingredients:

• 1 large plus 1 small Winter squash (I used a large butternut plus a small delicata and acorn) cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 tsp each ground  cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 "shot" of strong coffee (I used a pumpkin spice, but plain is fine)

Directions:

Lay the squash pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with spices and just a little salt and pepper.  Roast the squash in a 350 degree oven until tender - about 30 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a bowl.  Add the coffee and cheese and mix, slightly mashing the squash as you mix (I like it "chunky" - if you want it more smooth, then mash more!).  Taste and adjust salt, pepper and cheese as necessary.

You can do the roasting ahead of time and then just reheat the squash in a bowl and add the cheese and coffee and adjust spices.

Creamy Chicken Apple Chili

Despite hating Rachel Ray, this is a good recipe!


Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 apples, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2 15 ounce cans  pinto or white beans, rinsed
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
Toasted tortillas, for serving
Chopped scallions, for serving


Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the apples and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 6 minutes; add to the chicken.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute; whisk in the chicken broth and milk until thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken-apple mixture and beans, bring to a simmer, then stir in the cheese. Serve with the tortillas and scallions.

Dumpling Filling

My riff on Chinese dumplings.  The first version was good....

Ingredients:
2 small spring onions, sliced into thin rings, whites and light green parts
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 "pinky" size piece fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper as needed
1 pound ground pork

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours to let flavors combine.

Stuff into dumpling skins, approximately a teaspoon full for each.

Chili Lobster With Texas Toast

I have not yet tried this, but it is right up my alley...

Chili Lobster With Texas Toast
Adapted from Marc Forgione, New York.
From NY Times -    http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/12544/Chili-Lobster-With-Texas-Toast.html

Salt
3 or 4 lobsters, totaling about 4 1/2 pounds
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola oil
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups dry white wine
5 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs tarragon
1 bay leaf
6 cups water (reserved from poaching)

FOR THE CHILI LOBSTER
3 or 4 cooked lobsters (claws, knuckles, tails; see recipe above)
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons sweet onion (like Vidalia), peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups lobster stock (recipe above)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 to 2 limes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

FOR THE TEXAS TOAST
4 thick slices sourdough bread
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400. Fill a large pot with salted water and place it over high heat until it comes to a boil. Poach the lobsters for approximately 5 minutes, then remove from water and place in an ice bath to cool them quickly. (Do not discard the poaching liquid.) Once they are cooled, cut off the claws, knuckles and tails and refrigerate them until ready to prepare the final dish. Split open the heads, and remove the tomalley, which is delicious to some but not so pretty in this dish. Lift the legs away from the shell to reveal the gills, and cut them out using scissors. Break the heads apart by hand into large pieces.

2. Place a large, oven-safe saucepan over high heat, and add the oil, heating it until it shimmers and verges on smoking. Add the lobster heads to the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste to coat the shells. Add the shallots, stir to combine and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until well roasted.

3. Transfer the pan to the stove. Add the wine and herbs, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. Add 6 cups of the reserved lobster poaching liquid to the reduced stock. Simmer the stock for an additional 90 minutes, reducing it. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. Make the chili lobster. Cut the tails into 1-inch pieces, then crack the claws and remove the meat. In a wok or a large skillet set over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil until just smoking. Add the ginger and onion and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add the lobster tails, still in their shell, and the claw meat, turn heat down to medium and cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until hot. Add the stock, and return it to a boil. Transfer lobster pieces to a large serving plate, leaving the stock in the pan to reduce by half. Sprinkle the lobster with mint.

5. To the reduced stock, add soy and Sriracha and whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add a squeeze of lime juice, and adjust seasonings. Toast the bread, butter it generously and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut into triangles. Spoon sauce over the lobster and garnish with sliced scallions.

Serve with toast
YIELD Serves 4

Tuna Cakes

I made these to get my daughter to eat more protein...but they are actually pretty good in general! Serve with a salad and a sour cream based sauce and it is a nice dinner.

Also, all of the veggies are for the obvious reason to get her to eat a lot of vegetables as well!

Ingredients:

2 large cans of tuna in water, drained (about 2 cups of tuna)

1/2 cup parsnips, grated

1 cup carrots, grated

1/4 cup celery, grated

1/4 cup onion, chopped very finely

1 clove garlic, chopped very finely

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped finely

1 cup corn, copped roughly (I use frozen and thaw in the microwave)

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup mayonaise

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Take parsnips, carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sautee in a little olive oil until soft.

In a bowl, break the tuna down in to small pieces and add in the red pepper, corn, Old Bay, paprika, salt, mayo, eggs, olive oil, breadcrumbs and softened vegetables. Mix together well.

Heat a sautee pan over medium heat and wipe bottom with a little oil. Make patties about 3/8 inch thick and 2-3 inches in diameter. Cook for 3-4 minutes and flip, cooking 3-4 minutes more. Both sides should be golden brown.

You can also add in a little hot pepper (which I like). And, if the patties fall apart, you can add a little milk plus more breadcrumbs to help hold it together.

Butternut Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds before cutting) deseeded and cut into 1-2 inch cubes (you can leave the skin on or peel it)

1 small onion roughly chopped

3 large cloves garlic roughly chopped

2 medium carrots roughly chopped

2 stalks celery roughly chopped

15 oz container of ricotta cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups parmigiano reggiano, grated

1 pound rotelle pasta (wagon wheels)

2 cups water (or chicken or vegetable stock)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta about 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions (very al dente) in salted water. Drain and set aside.

Over medium high heat put olive oil, onion, carrots, garlic and celery along with salt and pepper and sauté until just tender and with some caramelization, about 15 minutes. Add in the cubed butternut squash and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is very tender.

Puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender). Taste for seasoning adding in salt and pepper as needed (or extra nutmeg). Add to the pasta along with the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmigiano reggiano and half of the mozzarella and blend well. Place in a buttered large baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmigiano.

Bake in a 375 degree oven, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is brown.

Texas Dry Rub

This is based on a dry rub associated with Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Texas (supposedly some of the best barbecue you will find...I can't wait to go there!).

Ingredients:

1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

JC adds:

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

Sub oregano (Mexican if possible) for the thyme

Up the coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Cuban Pulled Pork

This was...awesome. I should have made 10 pounds...

Ingredients:

1 pound pork shoulder lightly trimmed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Use about a tablespoon of oil and coat the pork shoulder. Add the spices and salt and pepper and coat well. In a hot pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil brown the shoulder on all sides. Add in the orange and lime juice and bring to a boil.

Put the pan in the oven, covered, for two hours. Check that the meat should pull apart easy. Uncover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce and further brown the meat.

Remove from the oven, and put the shoulder in a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Add as much of the juice as you would like (I would suggest all of it).

Serve with tortillas, over saffron rice, with potato and apple latkes (awesome) or just eat it out of the bowl and lie to your friends that the dog ate it.

White Bean Crostini

As with any crostini, just get some really good bread, slice medium thick and toast. Put on any appropriate toppings...this is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cloves garlic chopped fine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, marjoram or tarragon

1 cup water (or stock for a richer taste)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Sautee the garlic over medium low heat until just starting to get light brown. Add in the beans, water and hot pepper (if using). Turn heat up to medium high and cook until beans are very tender (you may need to add a little more water). Towards the end add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and mash roughly with a fork. Serve slightly warm.

Homemade Merguez Sausage

I didn't use any casing on this, but it is very tasty! Serve on a roll with a yogurt sauce, or with lentils or couscous.

1 pound ground lamb

3 cloves garlic chopped, then mashed in a mortar/pestle with 1 T salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper and 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar/pestle

2 Tbl paprika

1 tsp cayenne

Lots of fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tbl olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Form into small, sausages or meatballs and fry in a non-stick pan until brown. Turn and finish cooking, being careful not to overcook, making them dry.