Janet's Shrimp Pasta

Yeah, that's right. This recipe is all mine. Made it up myself. No surfing, no foodnetwork.com, no Epicurious.com. All mine. I had shrimp I just bought and needed to cook it tonight. I have some newly planted rosemary and basil plants, and I needed to pinch off the new growth. I didn't want to throw the clippings away (heaven forbid), so I thought, "What could I make with shrimp, rosemary, basil, half a lemon and half a red pepper?" Oh, did I mention tonight was clean-out-the-fridge night? I also had a box of these scrumptious grape tomatoes. They must be in season, because they were the sweetest batch I ever had. Brett kept eating them like candy. I took all these fresh ingredients and came up with a delishus pasta dish that was ready in 20 minutes. I hope you enjoy my creation!

1 lb large shrimp, shells removed

Put shrimp in bowl with some olive oil (about 1/4 cup), 3 cloves garlic, minced in the garlic press, 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, juice of 1/2 a lemon plus the zest, 1/4 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Let marinate while preparing veggies.

Cut up 1 red pepper into strips
Slice 1/2 sweet onion ( I happened to have leeks, so I used what was left of them)
Wash 1/2 container of grape tomatoes

Fill large pot with water, and heat to boiling. Add salt.
Don't add pasta yet.

Heat large saute pan with 1/4 cup olive oil.
Add onion (or leeks), and saute until soft.
Add red pepper strips and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Add the grape tomatoes and the marinated shrimp to the saute pan.
At the same time, add about 3/4 box of penne to the boiling water.
Cook shrimp about 3 minutes per side, until pink.
Cook pasta until al dente.

After you've cooked both sides of the shrimp and they are pink, add 1/2 cup white wine, and about 1/4 cup low salt chicken broth. Bring to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through.

By this time, the penne should be ready. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them into the saute pan with the sauce. Mix everything together and cook for about 5 minutes, until all flavors combine. Add chopped basil and Italian parsley, more olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes if you want more heat, and grated parmesan cheese.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

I've just introduced powertools in the kitchen. Today, I bought an immersion hand blender. How did I ever make soups without it? By making a mess in my kitchen, that's how. This thing is awesome! I was able to puree my curried cauliflower soup in about 3 minutes. I've used a blender to puree soup in the past, but have also given myself a nasty burn. The hand blender is easy to use, fast to puree, and a cinch to clean. I'm sold!
My other great find this weekend was the Williams-Sonoma Sous Chef Series. Every month, you get to recreate a recipe demonstrated by a sous chef from a well known American restaurant. This month was a recipe for curried cauliflower soup from Gramercy Tavern in New York City. I used several techniques to make it, including toasting whole spices, making a bouquet garni, and pureeing with the immersion blender. The end result was amazing. My favorite part of the soup was the yogurt garnish. Mixing yogurt with lime juice is so simple, but so delicious. Thank you, Jamie, for the website!

Curried Cauliflower Soup, courtesy of Sous Chef Series from Williams-Sonoma

• 2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets (about 10 cups)
• 1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• ½ leek, white and light green parts only, diced (about ¾ cup)
• 2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped (about 2 cups)
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon mild curry powder
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• ¾ cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Reserve 1 cup of small cauliflower florets, ¼ cup of onion, ¼ cup of leeks and ¼ cup of carrots for garnish.
2. In a large pot, warm ¼ cup of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onion, leek and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook until soft, about 10 minutes longer.
3. In a small skillet over medium-high heat, combine the coriander and cumin seeds and toast until they are fragrant and slightly browned, about 2 minutes. In a square of cheesecloth, combine the toasted seeds and the cilantro and tie into a bundle, securing it with a piece of kitchen twine. This is called a bouquet garni. Add it, along with the turmeric, curry powder and garlic to the vegetables in the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the vegetable stock, bring a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and discard, then puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the puree to the pot and keep warm.
5. In a large skillet, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the reserved cauliflower, onion, leek and carrots and cook until the vegetables are just tender and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and reserve.
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Divide the hot soup among 6 deep bowls, garnish with the reserved vegetables and drizzle with the yogurt mixture. Serve immediately.

Lemon Caper Swordfish; Swiss chard with carmelized onions

Tonight I decided to make something light, fast, and tasty. I saw a nice piece of swordfish, so I decided to make a piccata sauce for the fish. Piccata is used on chicken, veal or seafood, and is a quick way to add flavor to your protein.

Swiss chard is not the most well known vegetable, but it is one of my favorites. It is a member of the beet family, but tastes nothing like beets. It comes in different colors, but I've only seen red and white at my produce stand. All varieties are very good for you and are loaded with calcium, folic acid, and vitamins A, C and E. I eat it because it tastes good. The onions become sweeter the longer you carmelize them, and the bitterness of the greens are balanced by the sweet raisins and the syrypy balsamic.

1 lb swordfish steak
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp capers

Brush swordfish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Broil on rack in oven, 4 minutes per side, or cook on grill about 5 minutes per side
Meanwhile, mix rest of oil, lemon juice, garlic, capers, zest in pan. Cook on low 3 to 4 minutes.
You can add a pat of butter and heat until melted, if you want your sauce to be even better.
Serve with swordfish.

Swiss Chard and Carmelized Onions
1 bunch swiss chard, washed, leaves and stalks separated
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbsp golden raisins
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In large skillet, heat oil and add onions. Cook over med-low heat, stirring until golden and very soft, 10 min
Tear Swiss chard leaves into 2 inch pieces and cut stalks into 2 inch pieces.
Add stalks and raisins to onions and cook until stalks are tender, about 10 minutes
Add leaves and vinegar, cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper, if desired

Farro with Mushrooms and Black Beans

During my last visit to Mazzaro's, which is my most favorite Italian store in the world, I picked up a bag of farro. I had no idea what it was. I thought it must be good, since they had it at Mazzaro's. I had to find out what it was and how to cook it. It looked like steel cut oats, which I love, so I thought I might like it.
When I arrived home, the first thing I did was turn on my laptop and Googled farro.  I learned it is the mother of all grains, and is the grain from which all other grains are derived from. It was the mainstay for the Roman legions! If it was good enough for Augustus, it was good enough for me. I had to find out how to prepare it. After much surfing, I settled on my usual combination of several recipes and added my own flair at the end. I added some black beans only because I had a half can leftover from yesterday, but I thought it would add some protein and make this a complete meal. In the end, it all turned out delicious, and I will be cooking farro again.

1 cup farro
1 3/4 cups water, which will make 3 cups cooked farro
pinch of salt

Heat saucepan to med high heat, then add farro to dry pan
Toast farro for about 3 minutes, until farro starts to toast
Turn off heat, and add water and salt, stir
Turn heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until farro is soft, but still chewy

In saute pan, add 3 Tbsp olive oil
Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and 1 chopped shallot, saute until soft, about 3 minutes
Add an 8 oz package of sliced crimini (baby portabello) mushrooms, add salt and pepper
Saute over med-high heat until water is released from mushrooms and are well browned, about 5 minutes
Add 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of either Marsala or Madera wine (any sweet wine)
Cook until liquid is almost evaporated; about 5 minutes
Add cooked farro, 3 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, and water if needed
Add salt and pepper, your 1/2 can of leftover black beans, 1/2 sliced red bell pepper, and 3 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Christmas Eve Appetizers

For some reason, the holidays are a time for me to go back to my tried and true recipes. I never like to experiment with my Thanksgiving sides, or my Christmas apps. Once I find something that works, I stick with it. I think it's because of all the emotions and family rituals that are tied up into the holidays. For me, Christmas Eve means crab stuffed mushrooms and marinated shrimp. The mushroom recipe is from a Dom DeLuise cookbook, with a crabmeat stuffing and topped with melted cheese. The shrimp recipe is from LeRuth's Restaurant in Gretna, LA. It's more like a salad, with carrots, celery, onions all marinating in oil and vinegar, which you can make the day before.  Merry Christmas!!

Marinade for Boiled Shrimp

2 lbs large or jumbo shrimp, deveined, but unpeeled
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
4 Bay leaves
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
4 lemons, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
Tabasco sauce to taste  (I used 5 or 6 shakes)

Boil shrimp with shell on for only 2-3 minutes, until just turned pink. Drain, and put in ice water to stop cooking.

Marinade:

Whisk oil, vinegar and Tabasco in bowl. Pour over shrimp. Add rest of ingredients and mix. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving in a glass bowl.


Dom DeLuise Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

2 lb large mushrooms (about 40)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs ( I used Vigo)
2 cups crab meat (I used 3 cans)
fresh ground black pepper (I also used some crushed red pepper)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Wash mushrooms gently with damp paper towel. Remove and mince stems
Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic, onion, 1 cup bread crumbs, and minced stems.
Remove from heat, then add crab meat, black pepper and crushed red pepper, mixing well.
I needed to add a bit more olive oil because the stuffing was too dry.

Stuff each cap with mixture. It's OK if it's over stuffed, don't be stingy. Place on cookie sheet. Top each with more bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Pile on the shredded cheese, then continue baking 15 more minutes. Santa says, "These are better than milk and cookies!"

Beef and Gorganzola Toasts with Herb Garlic Cream

Sorry I have not been making updates to my blog lately. I've been too busy cooking! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Last weekend the house was filled with food, fun, and friends. Jamie and his son, Henry, were here, as well as my son, Brett. We cooked everything from gingersnap French toast for breakfast to pizzas for dinner. I've been wanting to make a beef tenderloin ever since I saw my latest Cuisine at Home magazine. When I mentioned it to the boys, it reminded Henry of something he ate this summer at his uncle's house. It was a beef tenderloin appetizer served with an herb-garlic spread, spinach, and gorganzola cheese. At first, I was skeptical. Who wants to eat beef on toast?  I eventually gave in and decided to give it a chance. We went to the store, bought our "fresh ingredients", and proceeded to the kitchen. Henry was in charge of picking the herbs from my front yard "garden", and Brett was in charge of making the spread. With Slap Chop in hand, the boys make quick work of the chopping duties. By the time the filets had rested and the bread was toasted, we were ready for our assembly line. After eating my first one, I had to eat my words as well. It was delicious. As usual, I've made some adjustments to the recipe, which you'll see below. This is a great appetizer that can be made ahead.  Instead of a whole tenderloin, we used filets. To mix it up, we made half with spinach and half with arugula.

Adopted from Cooking Light

1 beef tenderloin, 1 1/4 lbs (we used two huge filets)
Cooking spray
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
30 French bread toasts, 1/4 inches thick (we used Cuban bread)
30 baby spinach leaves (we made half with arugula)
5 Tbsp gorganzola cheese

Herb Garlic Cream - Mix all together
2/3 cup fat free sour cream
2 Tbsp low fat mayonaise
2 Tbsp chopped chives
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove minced garlic

Preheat oven to 475. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray. Salt and pepper tenderloin. Bake at 475 for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 425. Continue cooking until meat thermometer reads 145 for medium rare, approximately 20 minutes. (If using filets, time will be shorter). Remove from oven, cover, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut very thin slices across the grain.

To assemble: Toast, herb-garlic cream, spinach or arugula leaf, beef, gorganzola cheese

Arugula with roasted beets, walnuts and goat cheese

My favorite green to use in salads is arugula. I know it has a strong taste for some people, but I love it. I can't get enough of it's peppery flavor. I also have discovered the unique taste of roasted fresh beets. There is no comparison to the canned version. The true flavor of this root vegetable really comes out when you eat it fresh.  The only thing fresh beets have in common with the canned version is they both will stain your fingers! Today I decided to make a salad with both these ingredients. I made a simple balsamic vinaigrette to dress the salad and added dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. If using 100% arugula scares you, you can substitute spinach, baby mixed greens, or a combination of whatever you like.  If you don't like cranberries, substitute blueberries or cherries. That's the beauty of a salad; take out what you don't like and add what you like to make it your own creation.

4 fresh beets
olive oil
salt and pepper

1 bag arugula (or any combination of your favorite salad green)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roast beets:
Preheat oven to 450. Clean beets with brush, cut tops and bottoms off beets, then cut in half.
Place beets on sheet of foil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap beets up in foil to form a pouch, and place on cookie sheet. Roast in oven for 35 - 45 minutes, until beets are soft when pierced with a fork. Open foil pouch and let beets cool. Peel off skin, then slice beets. Can make a day ahead or let cool completely.

Dressing:
Thinly slice shallots. Add vinegar, honey and mix in bowl. Slowly add oil while whisking. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Salad:
Whisk vinaigrette, then pour over greens and toss. Divide greens onto 4 plates. Garnish with cooled roasted beets, cooled toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese.