Shrimp Risotto

This was so delicious!!  I made shrimp stock earlier in the day using my frozen shrimp shells and then made risotto with the stock.  Totally wonderful!

UPDATE: Last night I made this risotto again but I didn't have fennel. So, I skipped the fennel and added frozen tiny peas before adding the spinach. Fabulous!! 

1 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

3/4 cup sliced shallots

1 fennel bulb, sliced

4 cups (more or less) stock, heated

6 oz. baby spinach, rough chopped

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 T. butter

Zest of 1/4 lemon
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter (1 T.) and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the fennel and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and continue cooking about 5 minutes.  Season with salt. Meanwhile, heat your stock and keep it simmering on the stove.
 

Add the rice to the shallot mixture and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes and keep stirring. Do not brown the rice; you are just releasing the starches. Add the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add a ladle or two of stock into the rice mixture. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid, stirring often. Keep doing this until all of your stock is gone, or until the rice is done. Taste the rice. It should be soft but still have a bit of a bite.

Add the spinach and cook for a minute or two.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 3 minutes. 

Finish the risotto with the Parmesan, 1 T. butter,  and lemon zest. 

Shrimp Stock

 

So, I made my own shrimp stock and it turned out great. I save the shells in the freezer from shrimp that I cook and today I got to use them.  I started off with a huge pot and sauteed the shells in some olive oil for about 10 minutes.  Then I reduced the heat a little and added a whole sliced red onion (skin and all), a diced carrot, 3 garlic cloves (smashed), a diced celery stick, and a bunch of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, dill).  Also added a tablespoon of fennel seed, a couple of bay leaves, and a generous pinch of saffron.  Seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

I cooked this mixture for about 30 minutes.  I added a splash of water now and then so it wouldn't burn but didn't add all the water until everything was cooked down.  Once it was, I added about 4 quarts of water and brought it to a boil.  Then I simmered it for about a half hour and that was it.  Best broth ever for sure!

 

Mushroom, Spinach and Tomato Sauce

 I wanted to change up my usual pasta sauce recipe so I added mushrooms and spinach.  Turned out really good and it was a great way to eat plenty of veggies.  Here is the finished sauce:

1/2 pound (or more) mushrooms (I used portobello), sliced
1-1/2 pounds tomatoes, diced
6 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves (1 T.) garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 t. fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 t. fresh lemon zest
Parmesan
Reserved pasta water

Saute mushrooms in olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, fennel seeds, and tomatoes.  Season with salt and continue cooking about 8 minutes or until mixture gets saucey.  Add the spinach, pine nuts, and lemon zest.

Cook pasta of your choice (I used ravioli, but it certainly doesn't have to be stuffed pasta) and add to the sauce.  Add a little pasta water if necessary.  Serve topped with parmesan.

Pasta with Shrimp and Marinated Artichoke Hearts

I've been making this cold shrimp pasta for years.  I normally use 21/25 count shrimp, or even smaller, but I have shrimp that I brought back from Pensacola that is huge, so I just cut them in half and some in thirds.  I love marinating my artichoke hearts because they turn out way better than the canned or jarred ones.

I usually make this dish ahead of time.  I cook and peel the shrimp and marinade the artichoke hearts the day before.  I take the marinade out of the refrigerator an hour or two before assembling the salad so the olive oil comes back to room temperature.  I also add the cooked shrimp to the marinade while I'm boiling the pasta and chopping the rest of the ingredients. 

You can eat the salad right away but I prefer to eat it cold.  I do take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving.

2 (14 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and cut into fourths.

¾ cup olive oil
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of one large lemon
2 T. sherry or red wine vinegar
2 t. oregano, preferably Mexican
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ t. each pepper and salt

Combine the above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to simmer.  Remove from heat and let sit for a few hours at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. 

In a large serving bowl, combine marinated mixture with the following ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp

14 oz. cooked large (not jumbo) shell pasta (or pasta of your choice)*
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ chopped Italian parsley
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
½ cup sliced black olives (2.25 oz. can)

*The only large (not jumbo) shells I have ever found here are Skinner brand.  They come in 12 ounce packages but I find that 14 ounces just works better for this salad.  So I add another 2 ounces of shells (that's one cup dry).

Potato Pepper and Tomato Frittata

I've been perfecting my frittata recipe and finally think I have it perfect.  First, we've decided we like our frittata thinner so I use less eggs.  Second, I now use a cast iron skillet, which cooks everything evenly and I never have a problem with the frittata sticking.  Third, I found that onions overpowered the rest of the ingredients, especially when eating leftovers, so now I use shallot.  Lastly, the addition of tomatoes (I had leftover campari tomatoes) and a sprinkling of finely grated parmesan over the top made it smell like pizza.  Nothing ever wrong with the smell of pizza!

5 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about a cup or so)
½ green bell pepper, cut into one inch strips
1 medium shallot, sliced thin and roughly chopped
8 eggs
3 green onions, chopped, green part only (chives would be fine too)
5-6 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
1 t. all purpose seasoning (I use Anna’s herbs)
¼ cup milk
About 10 tomato slices (like Campari or Roma)
Fresh grated parmesan (about ¼ cup)
 

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cast iron skillet (or other skillet if you don’t have a cast iron one).  Add a tablespoon of butter and sauté the potato cubes for about 8 minutes.  Add the green pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Add the shallot and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, green onions, Tabasco and your favorite all-purpose seasoning (I use Anna’s Herbs from Austin).  You can also season with salt and pepper if you don’t have a favorite all-purpose seasoning.   

 

Add egg mixture to cooked vegetables and reduce heat to medium low.  Stir the eggs until they start to scramble.  Add tomato slices and top with the grated parmesan.

 

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until just set in the middle.  Keep checking it with a knife to see if the middle is set.  Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges.  Put a large plate over the skillet and invert the frittata onto the plate.  Use another plate and invert again so the tomatoes are on the top.

 

Cut into wedges and serve.  Really good hot, warm, or even cold the next day for breakfast!

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Sausages

This is one of my favorite easy dinners to make.  I buy stuffed pasta at Costco (this one is spinach and cheese filled ravioli) and use the Campari tomatoes I find there as well for the sauce.  The addition of the Italian sausages makes it nice and hearty (and makes Stuart happy).

1 package (about 1 pound) of stuffed pasta of your choice
1-1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (I use Campari when possible)
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 t. fennel seeds, crushed*
Handful of fresh basil, chiffonade (roll leaves up like a cigar and cut into strips)
3 links Italian sausages
Fresh grated parmesan

First, cook the sausages:  Put sausages in a skillet and cover with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.  Do not let the water boil or the casings will rupture.  Remove sausages and coat with olive oil.  Grill them for about another 8 minutes or until you have good grill marks on all sides.  You can also finish them in the oven if you don't want to grill.  This can be done well ahead of time.  Once they have cooled, cut the sausages into slices.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water according to package instructions.

In a large skillet, heat about 2 T. of olive oil.  Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and saucy (see the picture below).  Add the garlic, fennel*, and sausages and cook another 2 minutes.  Season with salt and stir in basil.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta from the pot directly into the tomato mixture.  Top each serving with fresh parmesan.

*I recently bought Italian sausages from Costco and realized later that fennel was not one of the ingredients, which is why I now add fennel to my sauce.  You can leave it out if your sausages have fennel, but it really does add a nice addition to the simple sauce.

Here is the sauce before the addition of the pasta:

BST Pasta Salad

I thought a BLT pasta salad would be a good idea but I didn't think wilted lettuce would be too good, so I used baby spinach instead, which is great wilted.  So, I had to name it BST instead of BLT.  Turned out really good and I loved the croutons.  Stuart loved having bacon!

½ loaf hearty, crusty bread (I used ciabatta), cut into cubes

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dried parsley

1 lb. pasta (I used spiralini)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bag (6-8 oz.) baby spinach
½ pound bacon
½ cup (or more) grated fresh parmesan
¼ cup olive oil + more for croutons
2 T. sherry vinegar (just about any wine vinegar will do)
1 t. Dijon mustard
1-2 T. minced shallot

First, make the croutons:  Put the bread chunks into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Add the garlic, parsley, and a light dusting of parmesan.  Stir well.  Spread out on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 375° for about 15 minutes.

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and put in a large skillet.  Turn the heat to medium and cook the bacon until done.  Drain well on a paper-towel lined dish.

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Cook until just done and drain.

In a large serving bowl, add the vinegar, Dijon, and shallot.  Season with salt.  Whisk in the olive oil until well blended.  Add the pasta to the vinaigrette and stir to incorporate.  Add the tomatoes, baby spinach, bacon, and parmesan.  Mix well.

If you are serving the salad to a crowd, mix in the croutons.  If not, just put the croutons on top of individual servings and save the rest of the croutons for your leftover salad.