#84 :: Lemony Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Seafood and pasta is a favorite of ours, and this one was another great combo! The recipe called for shrimp, but we used a combo -- shrimp, scallops and calamari. The extra bonus was that the leftovers tasted even better than the original dinner.





Ingredients

* 6 garlic cloves, pressed or grated
* 2 lemons, zested and juiced
* 5 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 pound medium shrimp (21 to 25), peeled, de-veined and butterflied (reserve shells)
(we used a mix of seafood - shrimp, scallops & calamari)
* 1/4 onion
* 3/4 pound thin linguini (we used angel hair)
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 small bunch parsley, leaves chopped


Directions

In a bowl, combine the garlic, zest and juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, to taste, and the shrimp. Set aside.

Meanwhile make a quick shrimp stock: In a small pot, over medium heat, add the shrimp shells and onion. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a bowl and discard the shells and the onion.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add a generous amount of salt. Add the linguini and cook until just tender, 2 minutes less than instructed on the package. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.

Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink and start to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a plate and add the remaining marinade. Let cook a few minutes then add about 1 cup of shrimp stock and about 1/2 cup pasta water. Continue to cook until sauce reduces by half. Add the zest and juice of the remaining lemon, the butter and the parsley and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Add in the shrimp and pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. Turn out into a serving bowl and serve immediately.



Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian on Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#58 :: Tortilla Soup

Finishing off our Mexican week is Tortilla Soup {and for dessert, Buñuelos}. This is hands down the best tortilla soup I think I've ever eaten, and the leftovers the next day taste even better! I was really proud of us on this recipe, too! We used a whole chicken for this, made our own stock, fried our own tortilla chips and strips....everything was fresh and homemade. It was great!

Ingredients

For the Stock:

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken, innards removed and rinsed
• Salt
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup medium diced carrots
• 1 cup medium diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 cups water

For the Soup:

• 8 (7-inch) corn tortillas, recipe follows
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 cups chopped onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 fresh limes, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

For the Stock: Season the chicken with salt. Place in a large stock pot and add the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the liquid into a another pan, discarding the vegetables. Remove the fat and bones from the chicken. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside. In a stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and jalapeno. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth or leave chunky. Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved diced chicken and cilantro. Simmer for another 5 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the avocados, squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro and the fried tortilla strips. Serve warm.

Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe from Emeril Live on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

#22 :: Garlic Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair

We bought some frozen shrimp at the grocery store and have been waiting to try something with it! This was one of our own creations (no recipe followed), and it turned out delicious!

Ingredients

• Angel Hair pasta (or your favorite kind)
  
• About 40-50 small shrimp (we just got a bag from the frozen foods)
  
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. parsley
  
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions

Zest the lemon first, and put aside for later use.

Boil the pasta for 8-12 minutes or until al dente. (I always use salt and oil in my pasta water, salt for flavor and oil to keep the noodles from sticking.)

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the olive oil, butter and lemon juice. Stir until mixed. Add in the garlic and saute (be careful not to overcook the garlic.) Add the shrimp and saute for about 5 minutes on each side.

Remove from heat. Toss in the lemon zest, parsley, crushed red pepper and salt & pepper. Cover the saucepan and let sit for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken. Serve over a bed of angel hair pasta and drizzle remaining oil from the saute pan over the top.


Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Me. :)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars