8-20-17 Linguine with shrimp

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Tonight I used tomatoes from Patience’s front porch garden for the sauce that created a most delightful pasta dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Linguine

2.     4 medium tomatoes

3.     Shrimp

4.     Asparagus cut in to 1 inch pieces,

5.     Fresh basil and dill

6.     Heavy whipping cream

7.     Olive oil

8.     Onion and garlic

9.     Sweet vermouth

10. Tomato paste

PROCESS:

Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on the large openings on a hand grater, preserving the pulp and discarding the skin. Prepare the onion and garlic in olive oil, then add the tomatoes and herbs to the pan and simmer to reduce the liquid. After 5-10 minutes add a splash of wine.  Cook the sauce for about 20-30 minutes, but the timing is not critical. The idea is to cook off the excess liquid.  I added about 2 inches of tomato paste to help thicken the sauce.  While the pasta is cooking add the shrimp and asparagus, and when the pasta is almost done, add the cream. (I nuked the asparagus for 1 minute to cut down on the cooking time in the sauce.

COMMENTS:

My concern about this dish early in the preparation turned out to be misplaced. It was utterly delicious, with a unique sweetness, thanks to the fresh tomatoes. I guess I will have to repeat this using processed tomatoes to see if there is a significant difference.

Try it - you won't be disappointed.

6-16-17 Capellini with shrimp in butter and wine

I have been thinking about this all day, waiting for the time to make it happen.  My goal was to emphasize the fresh dill and tarragon in a light sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Capellini

2.     Uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined.

3.     Fresh dill and tarragon coarsely chopped

4.     Shallot thinly sliced

5.     Garlic

6.     Olive oil

7.     Butter

8.     White wine

9.     Fresh lemon juice

PROCESS:

Cook the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft, and add about a heaping tablespoon of the herbs and cook for several more minutes over medium-low heat.

Add the butter and shrimp and while they’re cooking add the lemon juice and a splash of wine.

When the pasta is done mix it into the sauce, along with more of the chopped herbs and some pasta water if needed. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve, garnished with herbs.

COMMENTS:

I’m becoming a big fan of fresh tarragon and have to be careful I don’t overdo its use. But that was not the case tonight. Patience and I both loved the light, loose, and delightful sauce in this dish.

6-6-17 Pasta-shrimp salad with Patience’s snap peas

Day 6, and I did not have to play hopscotch with the one burner.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD:

1.     Farfalle pasta

2.     Green onion

3.     Cucumber-diced

4.     Celery

5.     Olive oil

6.     Shrimp

7.     Butter

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING:

1.     Mayonaise

2.     Heavy whipping cream

3.     Garlic- 1 clove finely chopped

4.     Fresh tarragon, dill, spearment – finely chopped

5.     Juice from ½ fresh lime

6.     Salt and pepper

PROCESS:

Cook the pasta, drain, place in a bowl, mix with olive oil to prevent sticking and place in the fridge to cool for several hours.

Cook the shrimp in butter until opaque, cut into bite size pieces, and set aside.

Prepare the dressing by placing all ingredients into appropriate size bowl and mix well. 

Mix the shrimp, the vegetables, and the dressing into the pasta and salt to taste.  Refrigerate for 30 plus minutes before serving.

The salad was served with fresh snap peas sautéed in butter.

COMMENTS:

This is a great summer dinner.  I especially enjoyed using the fresh Taragon. I will definitely be using more of that in the days ahead. The fun part for me was creating the dressing, using something different every time. We will be returning to this often during the months ahead, with chicken, salmon, and crab in place of the shrimp.

9-20-16 OLD & NEW

As usual, I left dinner planning to the last minute, which explains why I was staring at the open refrigerator scratching my head.  I saw several pieces of grilled chicken tenders and a small container with the half can of diced tomatoes, both remnants of last night’s dinner.  Next I checked the freezer and saw a package of shrimp, and knew immediately what I wanted to do.

  

                            

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Pasta

2.     Grilled chicken

3.     Shrimp

4.     Onion – garlic – celery – Basil

5.     Diced tomatoes

6.     Sweet Vermouth

7.     Butter

8.     Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

I began by preparing the Soffrito – cooking the diced onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil over med-low heat.  Next I added the tomatoes, basil, and wine, lowered the heat slightly, and cooked for about 15 minutes.  I diced the twp chicken tenders and added them to the pan.  I knew the pasta would take about 10 minutes to cook, so I waited until the pasta was in the water before I added the shrimp to the sauce.  About 5 minutes before the pasta was ready I added the butter and cream.

COMMENTS:

What a delightful dinner!  I think it could easily be repeated, using Sun Dried tomatoes in oil in place of the diced tomatoes. I started using celery in the "make ready" stage and enjoy the added flavor it gives to the sauce.  It is definitely a do over.

HEAVENLY PASTA

It is hard to be humble after preparing such a dinner...but I will try. 

Thanks to the Italian Grill for making the pasta, and to Midtown Market for selling it.  I went to buy Broccoli Rabe, and saw this:

And with a little bit of inspiration and effort, the result was this:

Pasta with shrimp, sun dried tomatoes, lemon, and cream

 

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Campanelle pasta

2.     Shrimp

3.     Sundried tomatoes in oil – finely chopped

4.     Fresh dill

5.     Olive oil

6.     Leek and garlic

7.     White wine

8.     Tomato paste

9.     Lemon juice - fresh

10. Heavy whipping Cream

PROCESS:

While the pasta is cooking prepare and cook all of the ingredients.  Add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, and enjoy.  A glass of chilled Pinto Grigio will add to your delight.

I enjoyed the Pinot Grigio so much that I’m unable to be more specific at this time regarding the preparation of the ingredients.   Maybe later.

I LOVE WHEN THIS HAPPENS

8-24-15 A CONCOTION OF INGREDIENTS           

Cooking tonight’s dinner was pure pleasure.  It began with a simple idea to utilize the veggies in the fridge, and evolved on the stovetop. 

The plan was rather simple.  The day began with asparagus, fresh Roma tomatoes, and chicken breasts that had to be used.  At the market I picked up some Leeks and Shiitake mushrooms, imagining them cooked with the chicken and asparagus in a light fresh tomato sauce, served over pasta or rice.

I started by cooking the mushrooms, leek, and a clove of garlic, in olive oil over moderately high heat.   I removed them when they started to brown and set them aside.  In the same skillet I browned the chicken in hot olive oil and cooked sit until it was not quite finished.  After deglazing the pan with Sweet Vermouth I set the chicken aside (next to the mushrooms).  Next up -  I began cooking the Asparagus, cut into 1” pieces, along with the coarsely chopped tomatoes and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and fresh basil leaves.  After 10-15 minutes I added the mushrooms and chicken, now cut into bite sized pieces, to the pan and let everything simmer over low heat.  Somewhere along this process I decided I would serve this on a bed of rice, and not pasta.

Watching it simmer It occurred to me that it needed some of Emeril’s “Bam”, so I added shrimp – cooked, peeled, and frozen - to the pan.  The final inspiration was  to add some Old Bay seasoning and top everything with thin slices of lemon.

4-19…Farfalle with shrimp, asparagus, and ramps

Several days ago I did not know what a ramp was, and tonight I’m cooking with them.

(From Wikipedia…·  Allium tricoccum, also called ramp, a species of edible wild onion or leek native to eastern North America)

Lisa, last night’s dinner guest, supplied the ramps and I decided to try them out with shrimp and asparagus in a very light, creamy, lemon-butter sauce.  I added a bit of sundried tomatoes for a little color and added flavor.

 INGREDIENTS:

Farfalle pasta

Ramps, cut crosswise

Sun dried cherry tomatoes in oil

Shrimp

Asparagus

Olive oil

Fresh Dill

Butter

Fresh lemon juice

Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the ramps in olive oil until soft, and then add the asparagus, dill, and tomatoes.  Cook for about 7-10 minutes then add the shrimp, butter, and dill.  When the shrimp is almost cooked through add the cream and stir frequently.

Add the pasta to the pan, mix well, and enjoy.

COMMENTS:

What a great meal, and without any garlic or onions!  The ramps bring a flavor that combines both ingredients, but with a taste of its own.

Sadly, they cannot be found in our local markets; these came from Louisville.

4-11…Pappardelle with chicken, shrimp, and asparagus

It has been over a week since my last pasta post.  We haven’t stopped eating pasta; I’ve been cooking dishes that have previously been posted and did not want to repeat myself.

Our local Kroger store has been carrying organic, boneless chicken thighs and I thought I would try them with asparagus and shrimp.

INGREDIENTS:

Al Dente pappardelle (large flat noodles)

Organic boneless chicken thighs

Asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch pieces

Shrimp

Fresh lemon juice

Garlic and shallots

Dry dill

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

White wine

Butter

Olive oil

PROCESS:

Brown the chicken, remove and set aside.  De-glaze the pan, saving the residual with the chicken.

In olive oil, cook the garlic and shallots until soft before adding the chicken and  wine.  Cook covered for about 1- minutes then add the asparagus and seasoning and continue cooking.  Add the shrimp, butter, and lemon juice while the pasta is cooking.

Add the pasta to the pan, mix well, and sprinkle with some of the parsley.

COMMENTS:

 Tastes great, easy to do, and many potential variations are possible. A few quartered cherry tomatoes would add a nice touch of color to the dish.

3-23...Perciatelli with arugula and shrimp.

Good grief!  It has been six days - six whole days - since out last pasta dinner.  No wonder my right eyelid has been twitching all day.  I will take care of that tonight with a pasta dish using arugula, shrimp, and pancetta, along with wine, butter, and lemon.  (And anything else I can come up with)

INGREDIENTS:
Pasta
Arugula, coarsely chopped
Shrimp
Sun dried tomatoes in oil
Olive oil
Garlic and shallots
White wine
Fresh lemon juice
Butter
Red pepper flakes
Pancetta, chopped


PROCESS:

Cook the pancetta until crisp, remove, drain, and set aside.  In the same pan cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil along with the red pepper flakes and tomatoes.  Add the wine and let it cook down before adding the shrimp and butter.  Before the pasta is done add the lemon juice, then mix in the pasta, arugula, and sprinkle with the pancetta and olive oil before serving.

COMMENTS:

 A great dish, easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy.  There are so many ways this can be adapted, improvised, varied, etc., scallops instead of shrimp, olives or anchovies instead of sun dried tomatoes, and on and on.

2-9...Fettuccine with baby brocolli, shrimp, and artichoke hearts

Patience and I have never been fond of whole wheat pasta until we tried the Al dente brand,  (no...I have no financial interest in the company) so tonight I thought their fettuccine would go well with the dish I had in mind.

INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccine
Baby brocolli
Small shrimp
Artichoke hearts
Celery
Garlic and onion
Olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Dry white wine
Dry dill, basil, and oregano
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic, onion, and celery in the olive oil along with red pepper flakes.  Then add the artichoke heart, brocolli, and wine and continue cooking over low heat.  Since I used frozen, cooked shrimp I added them about 5 minutes before I anticipated the pasta being done, along with the juice of a half a lemon.

Toss in the cooked pasta, mix well and drizzle with olive oil before serving.  Grated romano or parmigiano cheese  is suggested.

COMMENTS:

I gave this an 8.  It was good, but not special and did not leave me wanting more.  I think I used too many ingredients and should have limited it to the brocolli and shrimp.  Whatever the reason...it needs more work.  The best part of the meal was the pasta.

12-21…Capellini with creamy tomato – crab – spinach sauce plus shrimp

I will say right now that this dish was not just a winner… it was a GRAND WINNER.

INGREDIENTS:

Angel Hair pasta
Olive oil
Garlic and shallots
Lump crabmeat
Shrimp
Dry basil and oregano
Heavy whipping cream
Fresh spinach
Sweet vermouth
Peeled whole tomatoes

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots in olive oil, add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid is almost gone. Add the crabmeat, spinach, and herbs and cook for about 15 minutes, adding a splash of the wine about midway.

Place the sauce in a blender or food processer and puree to a smooth consistency, return to the pan and add the cream and stir frequently over low ot medium heat. Just before the pasta goes into the water add the shrimp to the sauce.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl and mix in the sauce. Serve with parmigiano reggiano cheese.

COMMENTS:

This was not a homerun…it was a grand slam, one of the best dishes I’ve prepared. You gotta try it.

11-15…PASTA AGLIO OLIO CRUDO PLUS…

The premise for tonight’s dinner is simple. In the center of the table is a large bowl of Pasta Aglio Olio crudo, surrounded by a selection of sauces, a.k.a.,toppings: sausage with sundried tomatoes, tomato, celery, mozzarella salad, and Shrimp and bay scallops in a butter-lemon sauce.



Guests are encouraged to begin with a small serving of the Aglio Olio as is, too experience the delightful flavor of this simple dish. Then they help themselves to more pasta so they can try the various toppings of their choice.

SAUSAGE

INGREDIENTS”

Olive oil
Garlic, chopped
Sausage with casing removed
Sundried tomatoes in oil coarsely chopped
Sweet vermouth
PROCESS:

Sauté the garlic in olive oil then add the sausage and sundried tomatoes. Several minutes later add the sweet vermouth. Cook until the sausage is done and drain off excess oil.

TOMATO SALAD

(Prepare in advance and allow to sit at room temp. for about an hour.)

INGREDIENTS:

Grape tomatoes, halved and/or quartered
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Celery
Onion and garlic, finely chopped
Basil, oregano
Mozzarella, diced

PROCESS:

Place the vegetables and cheese in a bowl; add the oil and vinegar, the herbs, and a splash of water.

SHRIMP AND BAY SCALLOPS

INGREDIENTS:

Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Bay Scallops
Olive oil
Garlic and shallots
Butter
Lemon zest
Bay seasoning
Fresh dill
Cucumber, peeled and diced

PROCESS:

Sauté the garlic and shallots in olive oil. Add the butter, shrimp, and scallops, along with the dill seasoning, and lemon zest. Cook for several minutes then add the white wine and simmer. Place everything in the serving bowl; mix in the cucumber and serve.

And…as an unexpected bonus…thanks to Christy at Gallery 600…Broccoli Rabe. Sauted in olive oil with garlic, this was the 4th “topping” of the evening.

COMMENTS:

Our friends from Nashville, Elliott and Tom drove up to pick up their puppy and share our dinner.



All I can say was…this was a huge success. It was a fun way to enjoy a meal. As always, the key ingredients are…good food, good wine, and good friends.

11-7…Chicken, shrimp, and other stuff.

It is 5:30, and I’m not feeling very inspired. Pickings in the fridge are slim, and the freezer and pantry are not much better, even after looking at both at least 3 different times. Eventually I settled on chicken…and thawed a boneless breast in the microwave. From there dinner evolved to include shrimp and fresh herbs in a lemon-cream sauce.



INGREDIENTS:

Tomato-basil fettucine purchased at Tuesday Morning (I am not a foodie.)\
Boneless chicken breast
Fresh dill, basil, and parsley
Olive oil
Butter
Heavy whipping cream
Shallots (I am embarrassed to say I am out of garlic)
Lemon
Shrimp

PROCESS:

While waiting for the water to boil brown the chicken in olive oil and butter and remove. Deglaze the pan with white wine if needed. Add more olive oil and sauté the chicken, adding the herbs and lemon juice. About the time the pasta is placed in the water add the shrimp to the pan followed by the cream. Stir frequently, and when ready, add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, and serve with Parmigian Reggiano cheese and a sprinkling of fresh dill.



COMMENTS:

For a last minute effort, this was delicious and I encourage everyone to try it. Any past will do, but I would recommend linguine or fettucine.

And neither Patience or I missed the garlic.

9-25 Wine pasta with Scallops & shrimp

It’s a wet, quiet Sunday morning and I am alone in the house with 8 whippets. The intermittent light rain is enough to keep me from walking dogs this morning, and with nothing else on my “to do” list I find myself thinking about tonight’s dinner.

After a number of recent dinners featuring a variety of tomato sauces I’m in the mood for something white and light and the first thing that comes to mind is sea scallops in a lemon-butter sauce with wine pasta. In her fantastic cook book on northern Italian food Lynn Rossetto Kasper offers a recipe for wine pasta…Pasta al Vino. It basically replaces half of the eggs used to make the dough with dry white wine. I’ve been anxious to try this since I first saw the recipe and today is the day to do so.

The Pasta

The recipe called for 14 oz. of flour, 2 jumbo eggs, and ½ cup of flour. This would make far more pasta than we needed so I cut it down to: 2 large eggs, ¼ cup white wine, and 7 oz. of flour. I quickly recognized that the dough would be too wet and gradually, during the kneading process added more flour…about ¼ cup…until the dough reached the right consistency and dryness. Substituting the wine for some of the egg resulted in dough that even felt lighter as it was kneaded. This would be great for any of the stuffed pastas, but today it will become fettuccini.




The sauce

INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil
Garlic, scallions
Sea scallops
Shrimp
Fresh basil and parsley
Paprika
White wine
Butter
Cream
Fresh lemon juice
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Brown the scallops in butter with a sprinkling of paprika and red pepper flakes, remove and set aside. Deglaze the pan with wine, adding the results to the scallops. Add olive oil to the pan and sauté the garlic and scallions. Add the shrimp along with lemon juice and butter. When the shrimp are cooked return the scallops to the pan and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking (homemade pasta will only take about 5 minutes) add cream to the sauce and stir well. Add the pasta to the pan, mix well and enjoy.

COMMENTS:

I had to wait all day for this meal but it was worth every minute I waited. Even if you don’t make the pasta give this sauce a try.

CAPELLINI WITH CRAB BASED SAUCE & SHRIMP 8-15

I’m raiding the freezer tonight. Patience will be home late and I’m not feeling very creative…or ambitious. A glance in the freezer revealed the answer to my dilemma, a container of tomato sauce I made with crabmeat several weeks ago.
I will use this sauce and add some pre-cooked shrimp and serve it with Angel hair pasta.



I have all sorts of mixed feelings about this dish. On one hand I feel I shouldn't be rewarded with such a great meal because I did so little to prepare it. On the other hand I feel pleased that I could put some leftover gravy from the freezer to such good use.

The bottom line is...it was great.

CORN ‘N CRAB WITH SHRIMP 7-23

Tonight I am following up on a suggestion I made 3 days ago…the pasta was served with corn and potatoes in a creamy tomato sauce…and I concluded the post thinking this would be good with crabmeat substituted for the potatoes. So…with 3 ears of fresh sweet corn and half a container of crabmeat still in the fridge the rest came easily.

Crabmeat replaced the tomatoes, shrimp was added to the mix, and the tomato paste was replaced with diced tomatoes with a splash of Sweet Vermouth tossed in.

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta…Campanella
Fresh corn, micro-waved and removed from the cob.
Fresh lump crabmeat
Shrimp, raw or cooked
Lemon juice
Diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
Fresh basil, oregano, parsley coarsely chopped
Sweet vermouth
Heavy whipping cream

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice, and sweet vermouth and cook for 10-15 minutes. Place tomatoes in blender or food processer and puree. Return the tomatoes to the pan and add the corn and crabmeat and cook over low heat. Add the shrimp now if raw.

While the pasta is cooking add the cream and stir intermittently. Add the pasta to the pan and mix well.



COMMENTS:

This was great. I liked it better than the corn-potato dish. The corn and crab are a good combo, and I like the way the sweet vermouth adds to the tomato sauce.
Any shaped pasta would work well with this.

PASTA QUEST DAY...week 4...DAY 18

When I bought the baby spinach this morning I had a specific sauce in mind...and it wasn't this. Some time during the afternoon while doing absolutely nothing in the studio it came to me. I'm sure that somewhere, sometime, someone else has done this, but until I find that out I will enjoy thinking of it as my own.
5-23-11



Scampi-Florentine alla Renzulli

INGREDIENTS:

Angel Hair pasta
Shrimp
Baby spinach
1 tsp. tomato paste
Garlic and green onions
Red pepper flakes
Splash of white wine
Butter
Lemon juice from ½ lemon

PROCESS:

While the pasta cooks, sauté green onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic in olive oil with the tomato paste. Cook until onions and garlic begin to brown, then remove and discard garlic, add the shrimp, white wine, and butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the spinach and lemon juice. Add the pasta and mix. Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with olive oil.

COMMENTS:

OK…here is the new system. Everything is a 10 unless otherwise noted. This was really good, with a unique flavor, and is one of the best we’ve enjoyed so far. Of course, as you have probably noted, we enjoy everything.

I know I’m rather vague in my directions, so if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask me.



As far as wine pairing is concerned....yes

LAUNCHING PATIENCE

Patience leaves this morning for the Whippet Nationals in Eugene Oregon. Last night, for her send off dinner, I prepared the following dish. I would like to say it was just for her, but, alas, I was also thinking of myself. She will be gone for four days, and my usual fare when she is away is hot dogs and baked beans. I’m not feeling sorry for myself, because the truth is, I love hot dogs, and the only time I eat them is when she is gone. In any event, we ate “high off the hog” last night.

As I’ve stated before, I don’t do recipes, and what follows is a general guide...you can’t go wrong with it! I used frozen artichoke hearts and frozen precooked and peeled shrimp.

Tortellini w shrimp, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, in cream sauce

This was a spontaneous dinner as a send off for P’s trip to Oregon tomorrow, and we both agreed it was easily a 15 on a scale of 10 !

INGREDIENTS:

Tortellini
garlic, shallot, fresh finely chopped parsley
red paper flakes
butter
olive oil
sun dried tomatoes
white wine
lemon juice
butter
heavy whipping cream
Old bay seasoning

Sauté the garlic, shallots, parsley with pepper flakes in olive oil. Add a little white wine and lemon juice along with the artichoke hearts (frozen), finely chopped sun dried tomatoes and . Cook for about 5 minutes then add the shrimp and a sprinkling of old bay seasoning When the wine is cooked off add a healthy pad of butter and the cream. Stir frequently for several minutes then add the almost cooked tortellini, stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes and serve with grated parmesan cheese.