Category Archives: shrimp

Shrimp Seared with Paprika and Other Good Stuff

Posted on May 7, 2015 | 2 comments
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Raw Shrimp after being butterflied, cleaned and de-veined

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Raw Shrimp on Baking Sheet with Dry Spices

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Finished Product Sprinkled with Chopped Fresh Parsley

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Yeah !!!! I’m back and cooking. I had rotator cuff surgery and repaired a tear in my right arm 7 weeks ago.  Yes my right arm, so how that translates to me is no spinning, no biking, no cooking and basically no nothing. First few weeks are so bad you don’t really want to do much but as you start to feel better you want to do more but can’t because you are stuck in a sling for 5 weeks!!!! This surgery is a bear and sort of unbearable. No choice in the matter I had to do it, so here I am healed up enough 7 weeks later to start cooking again!!!!!  Joel and I were so sick of take-out food and eating out 7 days a week . You realize that it’s the little things in life that mean the most to you. I am still not up to very difficult tasks but am healed up enough to whip up this delicious Paprika Shrimp . Not too difficult to prepare but make certain you read through recipe thoroughly before cooking. You too can look like a rock-star and cook up this meal.

If you like shrimp this is a must try recipe and if you don’t.   I called my local fish store in the morning (Roslyn Seafood Gourmet) I asked him to clean and de-vein but ask him to butterfly it as well. Joel butterflied it for me and it’s not that difficult to do it’s just time consuming.  I called the fish store in the morning and picked up in the afternoon, so they were all ready for me to cook. I asked for Mexican Whites and the largest he had was Under 15 so this was perfect. I realize that shrimp can be pricey but there is a lot of different shrimp out there priced for every pocket today.

So happy to be back cooking and sharing with all of you as I enter into my  5th year of writing this blog. Thanks again for all the support you’ve all given me throughout .

Keep Cooking with Candi .

*original recipe adapted from The Pollan Family Table — my new favorite cookbook

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 Teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or any other coarse type of salt

1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or any coarse salt you like

2 lbs. large shrimp ( 15-20 per pound) peeled, deveined and butterflied. Ask them to leave the tails on. I used 1 1/2 lbs. for the two of us and there wasn’t a single piece left!!! *see picture

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large cloves of garlic minced app. 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

5 chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (available in a jar)

2 teaspoons capers, drained

1/2 cup dry white wine I used a Pinot Grigio

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley , don’t leave this out . It gives it a super professional look.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.  Pat the shrimp dry on paper towels and lay the shrimp out on a rimmed baking sheet. Make sure to cover the shrimp with the mixture. Make sure to get both sides covered. Use all of the spice mixture up. I used my hands to completely cover the shrimp.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot , place half the shrimp in one layer in the skillet. Let cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes, using the timer.  Flip the shrimp and sear the other side, for  2 more minutes. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels before the second batch. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining shrimp. Put the shrimp in a sprayed ( cooking spray) oven-proof baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until lightly browned on the edges and opaque in the center. I cooked for 5 minutes.

While the shrimp are baking, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel again and return to the stove top over low heat. Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds and be careful not to burn garlic. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and capers, raise the heat to medium-high and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for app. 5 minutes. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter into pan. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and stir. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve. I served over rice. Amazingly delicious.

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Shrimp, Spinach, Tomatoes and Pasta

Posted on December 21, 2014 | 2 comments

I love the recipe with Chicken, Spinach , Tomatoes and Pasta so much that I decided to make it with Shrimp. It turned out as delicious as I imagined it would. My daughter and grandsons are out here visiting, and I wanted to make a special dinner for her first night. I didn’t feel like making chicken again, so I made the basic recipe but changed it around a little bit for the shrimp. How can this be bad??  With cooking you can mix and match and screw around with the recipes, more or less seasonings, etc. With baking you really can’t, when you start substituting it gets very dicey and I don’t recommend doing it unless you’re just screwing around in the kitchen. There is nothing worse than going to the effort and expense of baking and having to scrap the whole cake because you tried to change an ingredient.  Usually with baking , I follow the directions carefully and try new ingredients before I will make them for any one else.   With cooking you can be more flexible and be a bit more daring. There is definitley room for error with cooking but not with baking. Baking is much more precise a science. Heed the advice and have fun with this recipe. This is what I did.

Ingredients:

2 boxes Cherry Tomatoes or little grape type tomatoes. During the summer you may want to use some of those beautiful fresh tomatoes either from your garden or from the farm stand. In the winter months stick with the small cherry types. I was able to obtain some fresh cherry tomatoes grown locally and they were sweet and delicious.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper –to taste

2 Tablespoons Butter ( unsalted)

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

3/4 cup white wine ( I use whatever I have open) if no white wine in house double up on chicken broth

Shrimp , we used Ocean Garden brand or any Mexican White Shrimp shell on whites under 10 – 15 size.  Use whatever you like but I highly recommend this brand. I used enough for the three of us about 5 pieces each ( they are nice size) and cooked up the rest for shrimp cocktail for the next day. Joel recommends using Mexican White Ocean caught shrimp. The under 10 size means there are under 10 to a pound. These are the perfect size for shrimp cocktail and many dishes. They are rather costly though. Ask your seafood person for help , you’d be surprised how a little knowledge goes a long way in this area. We buy it by the box (5 lb.) and it comes frozen in a block. It gets defrosted, cleaned and deveined. You can also go into your local fish store and buy 1 lb. of shrimp about 10 – 15 to a lb. and have them clean it and devein it. We prefer the shrimp from Mexico or Equador, ask for white shrimp from Central or South America.

1 bag baby spinach

*crushed red pepper if you like a little heat ( totally optional)

1 lb. of spaghetti , I used perciatelli type of pasta. Use whatever type you like.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. I like to keep a cup of the pasta water in case I need a bit more liquid for finishing the sauce. I always do this.

Clean and devein shrimp.  Thank goodness Joel does this for me, but you can ask them in your seafood dept. or fish store to do this they usually will,  it takes a lot of the work out of it.

Cut small tomatoes in 1/2, if you are using larger tomatoes just chop up.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat, turn heat down to low and add garlic for about a minute. Pour in wine and broth , raise the heat and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Allow the liquid to boil for a few minutes and it will reduce , cooking liquid should reduce by at least 1/2. Lower to a simmer and add tomatoes, I let them cook for a while, probably 1/2 hour or so for this sauce. The tomatoes will release their liquid a bit, and soften up .  Sprinkle some kosher salt and pepper now on tomatoes.  ( about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt) and a few grinds of the black pepper ( to taste) Let tomatoes simmer, while you cook shrimp. You can always turn heat off, and just turn back on when you’ll add the shrimp.

I pat shrimp dry on some paper towels, and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

In another smaller frying pan, I add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over low – medium heat. When oil is hot , I add shrimp , I just quickly sear the shrimp about 3 minutes each side. Then I add shrimp to my tomatoes and simmer for a few more minutes. I add the pasta right in to my large skillet, and mix in pasta with the shrimp and tomatoes. Right before serving , I add in the bag of baby spinach and let it wilt, and that’s it! Plate it up! Delicious! Vegetable, Protein and Starch all in one bowl! Yum

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Simply Spiced Shrimp

Posted on December 14, 2014 | 2 comments

This shrimp dish was delicious , easy and cooked up in about 15 minutes. First thing you’ll want to do is buy the shrimp. I go to a local fish store and ask for Mexican White Shrimp and then I ask what size they have . I usually buy the largest ones they have which this time were under 16, which is sort of perfect, anywhere from 15 – 20 per pound is what you want.  I bought 1 lb. and had them cleaned and de-veined. Very easy so far right? I had 16 beautiful cleaned shrimp. This is beautiful served over any rice, orzo, or any pasta. This time we ate them alone as a sort of side dish . Served over rice or pasta this makes a wonderful entrée. The whole thing cooked up so fast and the prep was nothing, really. Beautiful sautéed shrimp with spices.IMG_6182IMG_6178

*inspiration for this recipe came from my new favorite cookbook “The Pollan Family Table” which I highly recommend.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, sliced into thin slivers

1 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika ( just not hot paprika) now you can use 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and I didn’t have it so I just used plain paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle-chile pepper, or to taste if you’re not a fan. I love this flavor and it gave it a little kick. Next time I am using 1/2 teaspoon of this

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt , and I think next time I will use 3/4 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper–a few grinds of the mill

1 – 1 1/2 lbs. of shrimp ( anywhere from 15 to 20 per pound) peeled and deveined

* 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley–I didn’t have in the house but if I did I would have used it ( makes it look prettier and adds a nice little flavor)

1/2 lime

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook until it is soft, about 4 minutes. Don’t Burn the Garlic!!! lower the heat if you have to .

I also lay my shrimp out on paper towels so my shrimp isn’t wet. I like it to be dry when I start.

In a small little bowl combine the paprika, cumin, ground chipotle, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp in one-layer. Cook until the shrimp just turn pink and start to curl up, about 3 – 4 minutes, then flip the shrimp and cook until just opaque, at least 2 minutes more, you’ll have to be careful not to overcook but you don’t want to undercook either. You can give a little cut into one if you’re not sure. I pretty much can feel the shrimp and know when they are done but it doesn’t always work and sometimes you just need to cut into it.

Remove the pan from the heat. I transferred the shrimp to a plate and added some of the flavored oil to the shrimp, sprinkle with parsley and squeeze a little lime!! That’s it.

Now if you are adding rice you’ll probably want a little more of the flavored oil on it.

Obviously you can play with spices, using smoked paprika will give it a smokier flavor . More chipotle will give it more kick. You can even add a little cayenne pepper. However you do it, it is delicious and very quick to prepare.

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Shrimp and Tomatoes with White Beans and Spinach

Posted on January 13, 2014 | 1 comment

photo 4 (14) photo (65)photo 5 (15)photo 1 (30)Today I am posting a recipe that is very close to one I have already posted titled “Tuscan Shrimp with White Beans” it has a few differences and they’re both excellent. Just wanted to let you all know what I did this time. I served as is and the beans are a delicious alternative to pasta. The beans and spinach make it healthy and hearty. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

app. 2 cups baby spinach ( or arugula)

3 cloves garlic , chopped

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup dry white wine, I used Pinot Grigio because that’s what I had on hand and open already ( sauvignon blanc would be fine as well)

1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Ask your local fish store to do this for you.

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper ( if you like a little kick, if not you can omit)

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste

Directions:

Wash spinach and dry. Chop up garlic cloves. Peel and devein the shrimp if not done.

I used a large sauté pan for this but any large pot will do. Place pot on stove and turn the heat to medium. Pour 2 Tablespoons olive oil and heat it up till it gets shimmery looking, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant ( very quickly for about 1/2 minute) Don’t burn the garlic!!! Add the can of tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a low boil. Once it starts to boil add the shrimp and cook, turning with tongs till shrimp is done , you may have to cut into one after 5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp will start to curl up, and get opaque inside. Don’t over cook ! You can always put shrimp back if undercooked but no one likes rubbery shrimp. The shrimp will continue to cook during next step , so don’t worry.

Stir in the beans, spinach, red and black pepper and cook, stirring often till the beans are heated through and spinach wilts, about 3 – 5 minutes more. Season with salt to taste, I used about 3/4 of a teaspoon of kosher salt, it depends on your taste.

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Orzo with Lemon Shrimp and Spinach

Posted on July 31, 2013 | 4 comments

photoDSCN0367DSCN0363DSCN0372DSCN0384DSCN0390By now you all know how very much we love shrimp. It comes in handy to have an ex-shrimp monger on hand to clean and devein my shrimp. I love cooking it but not so much cleaning and deveining it. Joel not only obtains the best shrimp around but he really does do a great job of cleaning and deveining. ( I think it’s in his DNA) In any event we make a pretty good team when it comes to shrimp dishes.
So now on to this delicious dish. I didn’t feel like grilling and this dish was calling out to me. I saw Giada de Laurentiis make a shrimp scampi on her show and she made it with arugula , it looked so awesome and light I figured I’d do it my way and make it with spinach even though I knew Joel wouldn’t eat the spinach. Our friend Drew was over and he loves spinach so we ate Joel’s spinach, once again it’s his loss. This dish was pretty easy to pull together once shrimp was prepped. Not a whole lot of ingredients, and whole thing took about 1/2 hour.  This dish was very light in flavor and a perfect summer night meal, doesn’t have to be served super hot , can be room temperature. Thanks again to Giada for the wonderfully inspiring recipe.

*once the shrimp is prepared this dish is a snap. Have your fish store clean and de-vein your shrimp for you.

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

zest of 2 large lemons ( try to use organic if you’re zesting and eating the peel) and scrub those lemons well

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice ( from the 2 large lemons you just zested)

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth and set aside.

Ingredients:

1 lb. orzo

1 lb. shrimp , I used large under 10’s, peeled and deveined  ( you can have fish monger do this )

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot , chopped

app. 1 more teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup dry white wine ,  ( I used what I had on hand)

6 ounces of spinach , I used baby spinach, use whatever greens you like. Giada used arugula .

Directions:

Cook orzo according to directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper . Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook until soft for a few minutes. Add the shrimp, cook shrimp until they turn pink and are just cooked through depending on the size of your shrimp. When shrimp is cooked through remove the shrimp from the skillet. Increase the heat to high and add the 1/2 cup of wine, allow to boil up and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, cook for another minute or so until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Then add orzo to the pan along with the vinaigrette and the spinach and let it wilt down.  I added most of the reserved pasta water , you’ll use as much or as little as you need, I used whole cup of reserved pasta water. Add the shrimp back in and toss well until all the ingredients are well coated. Serve up and enjoy.

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