Garlic Chile Shrimp

 Garlic Chile Shrimp

from Burma Superstar

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 3. 4 as part of a larger meal)

Garlic Paste:

-2 heads garlic, broken into cloves and peeled

-1/2 c canola oil

-1 tsp paprika

-1/4 tsp turmeric

-1 tbsp fish sauce

-salt (optional)

Garlic Chile Shrimp:

-1/4 c garlic paste

-1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined

-1/2 c sliced yellow onion or shallot

-1 small dried chile, broken in half, seeds retained

-1/2 jalapeno, sliced crosswise

-salt (optional)

-cilantro sprigs for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Garlic Paste:

Put the garlic cloves in a small saucepan, cutting any overly large ones in half so they are all about the same size/they will cook evenly. Cover with the oil and place over low heat. Cook at a lazy simmer, stirring occasionally, until the garlic cloves have softened and turned from white to golden, but aren't falling apart yet. About 15 minutes. Watch the garlic carefully: you should see small bubbles forming along the sides of the cloves. The oil should not be bubbling vigorously. Remove the pan from the heat and let the garlic cool in the oil to warm room temp.

In food processor, puree the garlic and oil and spices. Blend in the fish sauce and taste, adding more fish sauce or salt if it's not noticeably salty. (It will be where the shrimp get most of their flavor, so it should be assertive.) You will have about 1/2 cup of paste, twice what you need for one recipe of garlic chile shrimp. The extra can be refrigerated and keeps for at least 3 months.

To make the garlic chile shrimp, mix the garlic paste into the shrimp in a bowl. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry, letting the shrimp sear against the base of the wok (by avoiding constant stirring) for 2 minutes. Add the onions, chile, and jalapeno and cook til the onion has softened but is still slightly crisp and the shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more. Taste, add salt as desired. Sprinkle cilantro on top before serving.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined *We like it best will ALL the shell removed, but you CAN keep the tail shell on if you want
1 cup cornstarch
4 cups oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, sliced thin
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons black pepper
¼ cup scallions, sliced
3 cups white rice, cooked

For sauce *We improvised this just to add a drizzle of wet flavor

Gochujang
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Fishsauce
ginger
Honey

DIRECTIONS

1.) Set a wire rack over a baking sheet.

2.) Add the shrimp to a medium bowl. Cover with cold water and let sit until thawed, about 20 minutes.

3.) Drain the thawed shrimp on paper towels and pat dry.

4.) Place the cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss until well-coated. *Next time we will add salt and pepper to cornstarch before adding shrimp

5.)Heat the oil in a wok or large pan until it reaches 400°F (200°C). Add the garlic and fry for 40 seconds-1 minute, until golden brown. Remove the garlic with a strainer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

6.) Fry the shrimp, about 6-8 at a time, for 2 minutes, or until light golden brown. Transfer to the wire rack to drain.

7.) In a clean wok or large pan, add the ginger and red pepper flakes and toast for 2 minutes, until the ginger is starting to brown.

8.) Add the shrimp and toss to combine. Season with the salt and pepper and toss until well-coated.

9.) Transfer the shrimp to a plate, drizzle on sauce and garnish with the scallions and fried garlic. Serve over rice.

Pad Thai

Super simple but AMAZING-tasting pad thai! A much lighter, brighter option than take-out. I made them without egg and I did not miss that factor at all. Also swapped peanuts for cashews.

INGREDIENTS:

-4 tbsp. canola oil

-2 garlic cloves

-4 shallots, thinly sliced

-8-10 medium sized fresh prawns, cleaned and deveined OR 8 oz. chicken OR BOTH!

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

-1 pkg. Annie Chun's Pad Thai Rice Noodles (cooked, drained, and rinsed as directed)

-1 cup bean sprouts

SAUCE:

-4 tbsp lime or lemon juice

-3 tbsp fish sauce

-3 tbsp sugar

-1-2 pinches crushed chilies or pepper flakes

GARNISH:

-2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

-3 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed

-3 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced

-1 lime, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Mix sauce ingredients together. 

Prepare pasta. 

Heat wok or pan over high heat. Add 2 tbsp oil, garlic, shallots, and prawns. Cook until prawns are opaque. Set aside. 

Add remaining 2 tbsp oil and 2 eggs, then scramble. 

Reduce heat to low; add sauce and noodles. Toss until well mixed. Add prawns and bean sprouts. Toss well. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts, scallions, and lime wedges.

Zesty Shrimp Penne

One of my favorite reasons to cook is to mix up what I'm eating, especially getting some seafood into the diet.  While I'm not a big shrimp fan, this recipe looked worth a shot (and a trip to Whole Foods to actually get some of the critters).

Recipe

1 lb shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups penne

Combine the olive oil, cheese, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.  Add to a Ziploc bag with the shrimp and coat thoroughly.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes (but plenty more if you have time).

Later on...  Get your pasta going.  About halfway through, Heat a skillet and add the contents of the bag.  Cook the shrimp until done, a few minutes each side.  Toss in the pasta (and some pepper never hurts) and serve.

Notes

As with other recent pasta experiments, I was worried about the amount of sauce going on the pasta.  As I poured in the penne, I wondered if I'd missed something and if I'd just be eating plain pasta with some shrimp tossed in.  I shouldn't have.  The pasta soaks up the rich, oily marinade and just gives you mouthfuls of flavor (you can see the sheen in the picture).  This recipe packs a lot of punch for relatively few, easy ingredients and steps - a nice combination of salty and a little sweetness.  Might become a go-to recipe when I feel like splurging on (pre-shelled and de-veined) shrimp!

Crockpot Jambalaya

A few years back, my go-to dish was old Zatarain's jambalaya out of a box.  So when I happened across this (paleo) jambalaya recipe, I was pretty excited to give it a try from scratch:

Recipe

4 c chicken stock
rice (optional)

Meat
1/2 lb chicken, diced
1 package andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 lb raw shrimp, deveined

Greens
4 peppers (mix of colors), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 c okra (optional)
2 jalapenos, diced (optional)

Seasoning
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
hot sauce (optional)

Start with the stock, chicken, greens, and seasonings all in the crockpot to cook on low for 6 hours.  With 30 minutes to go, put in the andouille, then with 20 minutes, the shrimp.  You can add the rice for 20 minutes too, or cook separately.  Done.

Notes

So the chicken and shrimp amounts are pretty approximate - anything up to or a little over a pound won't overwhelm.  As simple as the instructions are, the toughest part is all the chopping.  The peppers, onion, garlic, etc. are pretty straightforward, but the okra was surprisingly gooey.  And it was my first experience with prepping raw shrimp.  The little legs, shells, veins...  gross.  And honestly, the andouille is really the star of the dish.  It's soupier than other jambalaya's I've had, but more colorful.  And great!  Next time just need to find more eaters.

Billie Bubba Shrimp

This peppery dish is a riff on an official Bubba Gump shrimp recipe and it is best to make said dish while listening to Billie Holiday--hence the name.

(serves 2-3)

INGREDIENTS:

For the broth:

• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cajun spice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 8 ounces clam juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar

For the shrimp:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 baguette (optional)
• 1 cup cooked white rice (optional)
• Lemon wedges (optional)

RECIPE:

For the broth:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, and in the melted butter cook black pepper, Cajun seasoning, and garlic, about 5 minutes. Add bouillon cube, clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to low until ready to serve.

For the shrimp:
In a large saute pan melt butter. Add Worcestershire, black pepper, Cajun seasoning, garlic and shrimp. Cook shrimp quickly, approximately 2 minutes. Combine shrimp and broth. Serve with bread or rice and lemon, whatever you'd like.

NOTES: "Creole" seasoning has the same spices as "cajun," so feel free to use that...and you could probably throw in some collard greens in at the end for a more nutritionally-complete meal...