Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Today’s recipe is brought to you in honor of the Great American Seafood Cook off. The governor of Louisiana (a great state for fresh sustainable seafood) issued the challenge and one state and one chef will walk away with the title. All the action takes place in New Orleans and tickets are only $10.

Event sponsor and NOAA Fisheries Director Bill Hogarth commented, “I strongly believe that American seafood is, by far, the finest. Our marine fisheries management system is as unique as our nation and it works. If American seafood is on the market, you can be sure that it is being managed in a sustainable manner.”

I have to admit that fish or seafood of any kind don’t make it into my menu plans often. I really prefer to work with fresh ingredients and here in Iowa seafood is expensive if it’s fresh. But I do like knowing where the seafood I purchase comes from and that it’s being managed so fish aren’t “fished out”, if you know what I mean.

Once in a while I will splurge on shrimp. It doesn’t get too “fishy” and it’s really difficult to screw it up. A super easy recipe my family enjoys is this Shrimp Scampi Pasta. I tore it out of a magazine a couple of years ago and we probably have it every couple of months.

This will only take about 20 minutes if you work on the sauce while your pasta water boils and your pasta cooks.

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14oz) chicken broth, divided
3 T flour
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (I get the small shrimp as they are easier for the girls but the presentation is better if you get the larger ones)
1 T lemon juice
2 T butter
1 T chopped parsley
12 oz linguine
Red pepper flakes (optional)

In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cover & cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Pour one cup of broth and flour into a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake to blend. Pour remaining broth and broth flour mixture into saucepan; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice, butter and parsley. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Pour over cooked pasta.

**If you want to make this recipe a bit more of an Alfredo add some grated parmesan to the sauce.

Do you have any delicious seafood recipes for me to try?

Empanadas

Here at my house we like tacos. Alot. But even food you like alot can get old. So I mix it up once in a while with empanadas. It's like a taco but in a crust instead of a shell.

This recipe is meatless (going with my goal of meatless meals) but you can easily add beef to it if you just have to have it. But try it without at least once.

It's really simple (probably because I found it a few years ago in Real Simple magazine) and really yummy.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package refrigerated pizza dough (about 1 pound)
Flour for the work surface
1 16-ounce can refried beans
1 1-pint container fresh salsa
1 8-ounce package shredded Cheddar
Sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F. Spread 1 teaspoon of the oil on a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into an 8-inch round on a lightly floured surface. On half of each round, spread some of the beans, then top with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the salsa and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over the other half of each round, covering the filling, and press the curved edge with your thumb to seal. Lightly brush the tops of the empanadas with the remaining oil, then transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

You could also make these "mini" and turn them into appetizers!

Spicy Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I got this recipe from Everyday Food magazine. They have it set as a make-ahead-and-freeze-it meal. Personally I'm not a fan of cooking and then freezing veggies. They just aren't crisp enough. And after making the recipe as it was written I made a few adjustments to it.

This recipe is really easy to throw together so it's a great entry to cooking Asian foods. You don't need anything special and you can get all of the ingredients at your local store.

So, here's my take on the recipe:

What You Need:
5 T (just under 1/4c) cornstarch
1 c orange juice
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
1/8 c honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t red pepper flakes (less if you don't like it spicy)
coarse salt
1/2 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast cut crosswise into 1/2" wide strips
Small head of broccoli, cut into florets (you can also peel and thinly slice the stalks to add)
3 carrots peeled and diagonally sliced thin
cooked rice (I use brown rice- it's just a bit better for you)

Here's What You Do:
Put cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk in orange juice until smooth. Whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

In a large pan (I use the one I boil pasta in) heat oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken on one side until lightly browned, turn and cook another minute and remove from pan.

Add broccoli, carrots and 1/4 c water to the pot. Cook, partially covered, until water has evaporated and broccoli is bright green- about 3 minutes. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil. Cook 2-3 minutes, until chicken is opaque and sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.

Now,please don't hate me, but my kids eat everything that is put in front of them. The main reason for this is because they are not given a choice. You eat what you are given or you don't eat. This is not to say that we don't sometimes have problems, but they are rare. We try to keep meals fun by giving them different names and by using chopsticks with our Asian cuisine.

Triple Cheese Baked Spaghetti

A bloggy friend of mine and I were discussing pasta- and how much we love it. Honestly, you really can't mess up too badly when you make it; practically everyone likes it and you can do so much with it.

I made this the other night- it added another recipe to my growing meatless options and, hey, it's pasta. In fact, it's almost a spaghetti pie...

This is a recipe from the American Dairy Association. Mmmm... dairy...

6 ounces dry spaghetti pasta
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely grated Romano cheese
2 cups (16 ounce jar) prepared spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dry basil
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
(note: this is a really easy recipe to tweak. I added garlic -of course- and if you really wanted to you could add some meat. Or use different pasta. Really just an easy & fun recipe.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain completely. Preheat oven to 350 °F.

In a large bowl, combine ricotta and Romano cheeses, 1 cup spaghetti sauce, basil, oregano, and pepper. Set aside remaining 1 cup spaghetti sauce.

Mix cooked pasta with cheese mixture, stirring until pasta is distributed. Place in a casserole dish coated with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Top pasta and cheese mixture with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove cover; continue baking until cheese bubbles.

Remove from oven and let stand for three minutes.

Cut into four large or six smaller servings. Top each portion with remaining spaghetti sauce before serving.

Baked Triple Veggie Dip

I absolutely love a good spinach and artichoke dip warm and good from the oven. Mmmmm... So when I found this recipe from Kraft and it added asparagus to a favorite treat I had to try it.

I've made this for many gatherings, reunions and parties and it always gets rave reviews. It's simple to toss together and easy to change up for more (or less) zing.

1-1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 can (1 lb. 3 oz.) asparagus spears, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
1 can (8-1/2 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 container (8 oz.)Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup Mayonnaise

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Reserve 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese; set aside. Mix remaining 1-1/4 cups Parmesan cheese and all remaining ingredients until blended.

SPOON into 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

BAKE 35 min. or until lightly browned. Serve hot. I serve it with thick tortilla chips, pita chips or crusty bread as a spread.

Change it up:
Add sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers or pimentos for a bit of color and flavor.
If asparagus isn't your thing go ahead and take it out. Get a bigger can of artichoke hearts.
If you can't get enough garlic (like me) mince a clove or two to add.
Try shredded parmesan on top instead of grated.
Use a different plavor cream cheese. Or try plain cream cheese and add dry soup mix (like onion).