Shrimp-Pasta Stirfry

This makes one big serving:

1 carrot - sliced

1.5oz. dry corn-rice (gluten-free) pasta

Simmer these until al denté, then drain in a strainer.

Marinate the following in a big splash of Lemon-EVOO Dressing then sauté:

7 med. shrimp, cut in half

3 smashed-minced garlic cloves

As soon as the dressing begins to sizzle, add the drained carrot and pasta. Let everything sizzle a minute or two, stir, then let it sizzle again. Continue this until the shrimp and garlic are just barely done. Flip this around in the pan, then serve. This is great as a quick, healthy lunch or dinner. Shown with a side of coleslaw. . .Lin

Chicken Shrimp Mushroom Piccata

Start by sautéing these vegetables:
2 stalks of celery
1/3 green pepper
1 med. yellow onion
1 med. sweet onion
10 oz. sliced mushrooms
1t fresh ground black pepper
4T butter

Sauté this together, while stirring releasing the liquid, scent and becoming a little translucent, for about 10 minutes. Then add: 2-3c finely chopped dark green kale - leaves only

Cover and simmer 5 minutes then add:

8oz. chicken thigh meat - cut in bite size pieces

4 big garlic cloves - sliced into thin matchsticks

1/3 green pepper - chopped

2 thinly sliced green onions

1/3c rinsed capers

Stir and turn up the heat to medium, allowing some of the liquid to absorb and evaporate, for 20 minutes or so. Add the last ingredients:

1T Better Than Bouillon - lobster

10oz. thawed jumbo shrimp - cut in half

juice of 1/2 lemon

Stir and bring up to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in sour cream, or keep it on the side to be mixed in. Serve over al dente pasta. . .Lin

My Version of Shrimp & Vegetable Lo Mein

Cook 12oz. thin spaghetti, vermicelli or Lo Mein noodles, to al dente, rinse to prevent sticking and set aside while you make the sauce, prep your vegetables and thaw 14oz. red Argentinian shrimp

My Just-Created, All-Purpose ASIAN SAUCE:
3T dark, toasted sesame oil
3T mushroom soy sauce
3T sweet chili sauce
1-2T Better Than Bouillon - lobster
~ (vegetable or chicken will also work)
1t fresh ground black pepper
1/8-1/4t cayenne pepper
2-3t cornstarch 
3/4c fresh cold water
1-2t cornstarch

Whisk all these together over medium heat. Bring to a low bubble for just a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Do a taste test and make any changes you'd like, then set this aside until the end. This turned out great. Might be a bit salty or peppery for some, so taste as you go.

VEGETABLES:
Use whatever you have on hand, that would go well in Lo Mein.

Most of what's on my tray today should be recognizable, but in case you don't know, I have 2 large purple shallots and 1 big brown radish in this mix. Radish, when stir-fried, still has a great crunch and adds a peppery bite of heat you can't get from most other vegetables. Also, a giant clove of garlic that I remembered after I took the photo.

In addition to, or in place of, what's shown here, you could use fresh or frozen peas, pea pods, thin sliced green beans, leeks, green onion, broccoli, asparagus. Thin sliced Napa cabbage, bok chop, dinosaur kale, spinach. . .Be creative! It doesn't have to stick to exact traditional rules, more what you and your family love. . .

Slice or chop everything so it'll all be crisp-tender after a quick stir-fry. Start cooking the hardest ingredients first, that need the most time. For this recipe it was a little bit of shallot and garlic and 2T olive oil in a hot pan. In went the celery, carrot, then a few minutes later, mushrooms and zucchini. I let that sizzle for a couple minutes before transferring it to a big pot. When adding all the rest to the now fairly dry pan, I poured in about 2/3c of Oolong tea I made earlier, and, a handful of finely chopped candied ginger, which weighed less than an ounce. Sizzle that until the cabbage and shallots are wilting and a bit translucent. Transfer this to the big pot.

Now add a couple tablespoons of dark toasted sesame oil and the shrimp, that have each been cut in thirds. Stir that around the pan for 3-4 minutes. Into the pot with that, then it's time for the partially cooked Lo Mein noodles. As the noodles begin to sizzle, stir in about half the sauce. Keep it all moving just until each strand is covered. . .and then. . .you guessed it! . .Into the big pot! Gently combine everything and taste to see if more sauce is needed. I took these photos before tasting, having used only half the sauce, but it needed more. I used almost the entire 11oz. that this recipe made.

This turned out so well, especially for a first attempt! Lots of putzy little steps to get things just right, but the end result was worth it. I'll definitely make this again. Well, a similar version I should say. Next time with green onion and cilantro. Not sure that's in authentic Lo Mein, but again, cooking is an art form. While there's a lot of science to the process. . .

The end result is Your Art!

Happy Creating! . .Lin

Shrimp and Beans!

Today was another busy cooking, reading and YouTube video day for me.  What did we do before YouTube instructional videos?

All of a sudden I was hungry.  Shrimp! It had to be shrimp. Not with rice, not an angel hair pasta scampi thing, shrimp tacos sounded good, but that would take too long, after so much kitchen time.

Shrimp and something green, broccoli or green beans.  Beans won.  I steamed them in just a little water.  When they were almost done, I made space in the middle of the pan, added EVOO and the shrimp.  Sizzle-sautéed just a few minutes, seasoned with Little's Baja Fish Street Taco seasoning mix. I'll use this a lot! I had an empty salt shaker that I thought I'd fill. There's enough in the packet to fill this one twice!   Chopped fresh shallots on top and. . .

Oh boy!  This went together in 10 minutes - and it's something I'll make again (and again!) Quick Food is not fast food.  It's healthy food that comes together quickly. . .Lin

Chicken and Shrimp Curry

It's been a long time since I made curry.  This started as chicken only, then I remembered I had some good looking, big Argentinian shrimp.  I cut each one in thirds and added them, with the tomatoes, when there was about 10 minutes of simmer time left.

12oz chicken breast or thighs

5 big cloves of garlic - sliced

1/2 med.-lg. onion - 1/4 and sliced

2T olive oil

salt, pepper and curry powder

garlic and onion

3/4c chopped celery

2 seeded, sliced mini red peppers

3-4c fresh cold water

2 apples

2 sweet potatoes

1 sm.-med. head of purple cabbage

6-8oz. shrimp

12-15oz. canned tomatoes

1 can coconut milk - shake well before opening

Cut the fat off the chicken then slice it long and thin, or cut it in 1" pieces.  Sauté this with a little salt and about 1/2t black pepper, and curry powder.  This particular one has great flavor, but it's very mild.  By the end I had used 2T or more and it still wasn't spicy.  After it's had a chance to sizzle a bit, add about 1/4 of the garlic and onion.  

Sauté a couple minutes over med.-high heat, stirring while it begins to brown.  Add the rest of the garlic, pepper, celery, onion and a little of the water, if needed.  Cover and let that simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, core and chop the apples, peel and cut the sweet potatoes and cabbage into chunks.  Add those with more water.

After this has simmered, covered for about 20 minutes, the shrimp and peeled (chopped) tomatoes can go into the pot now.  Once this comes to a very slow bubble, time it for about 5 minutes covered, but stir a time or two.  Last add the coconut milk, combine everything and simmer for another few minutes before serving.  You can ladle this over rice if you want, or just serve as is, in soup bowls.  The 'gravy' thickens a bit, so it's not watery like soup, but not quite as heavy as a stew.  It's not pretty. . .just yummy curry! . .Lin

Vegetable-Shrimp Cakes

There are a few things I'm always on a quest to perfect. Gazpacho, Seafood Bisque, Salsa, my version of a Classic Chicken Soup, A Perfect Veggie Burger, and something akin to a Crab Cake. My mother-in-law made exquisite crab salad from canned crab meat, but the idea of canned crab bothers me somehow.  I have langostino in the freezer. If I don't make that into another bisque, I might try them in this recipe with Cajun seasonings.

I was craving shrimp the other day. I have a couple packages unopened, but I found an open bag of Argentinian shrimp that I had used in a previous Shrimp Scampi. I decided it would be a perfect way to work on the 'cake' idea.  These turned out really well!

6oz. finely chopped frozen shrimp

some finely chopped onion, garlic,

 ~ red pepper and mushrooms

a big handful fresh spinach—finely sliced

Italian seasoning, dill, salt, black and red pepper

1-2 eggs

1c Italian Panko breadcrumbs

a little half and half

Mix all the chopped ingredients and the rest of this group in big bowl. When the consistency is right, you may need to add an egg or a little more Panko, it should hold together well, like meatballs or a meatloaf ready to bake. Heat your frying pan and add 2T hearty, dark EVOO. Fry-sizzle a few minutes over medium-high heat, until browned nicely on each side. Transfer to a brown paper bag when done to absorb the excess oil.

Serve with your favorite sides. When cool, these can be packaged into serving portions and frozen. This made 10 patties = 5 nice servings. They turned out well - lots of flavor and crispiness. . .Lin

Mushroom Pesto and Seafood Pasta

4oz. tiny elbow pasta* - cook al dente'

drain, save some of the starchy water

Rinse in cold water in a colander until chilled - set aside

1# sliced mushrooms

4T real butter

1T white balsamic vinegar

your favorite seasonings, salt and pepper

Sauté until most of the liquid disappears.  Add the following:

3 big green onions - sliced

5oz. langostino tails

5oz. raw shrimp cut each in thirds

Simmer and stir until the raw (grey) shrimp turn pink. Stir in the following to create the sauce then the pasta and serve. *Or if you'd rather use spaghetti or angel hair, serve this over the pasta.

½-⅔c sour cream

2-4 T basil or tomato pesto

½c chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

zest of 1 lemon

This turned out really well and made 3-4 servings. . .Lin

A Shrimp Dinner Bowl

Shrimp, Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli — 300-325 calories

This needs little prep time or cooking. It's ready super quick! Scrub and slice a 5" Sweet potato. Thaw 6 large shrimp and remove any shell. Wash and cut some broccoli florets using about a cup. Start with the sweet potato in a small pan with a little water and butter. Season well and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just a few minutes. Add the shrimp either whole, or cut into 3 pieces each. Steam the shrimp only a couple minutes before adding the broccoli. Cook 4 minutes longer. . .Lin

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalya

4 oz. andouille sausage
~ I only had chorizo, but that worked well
(Mexican Jambalaya?)

1 lg. onion

4 stalks of celery

¾ green or orange pepper

3 lg. green onions

7 lg. cloves of garlic

28 oz. petite diced tomatoes

~ or peeled frozen tomatoes

2-3 c frozen okra

1 cup white rice

Saute' the first group of chopped ingredients in a couple tablespoons of avocado oil in a 4 quart pot.

After this mixture scents your kitchen, 5-10 minutes, add the green onions, garlic and continue to cook another few minutes before adding the next group and a couple cups of cold water.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Stir and check flavors, adding soup base or other seasonings if needed.

For the last few minutes, add the chicken and shrimp.  These shrimp were pretty big, so I cut each in 3 pieces.  Stir again after everything's cooked and ladle it into big bowls.

Being such a soup person, I overdid the water a bit, and ended up with Jambalaya Soup!  Add as little or as much water as you want. . .Lin

Quick Shrimp and Rice Bowl

⅓ c bamboo rice

1 c fresh cold water

1-2 T butter

¼-½ t Rosemary Seasoning

¾-1 c frozen peas

6 big shrimp

Cook the rice, butter and seasoning slowly, until the water is almost gone.  Add the peas and cut up shrimp.  This was one huge serving.  With a big mixed vegetable salad, it would easily feed two people...and...it only took a half hour, from start to finish.

Quick (healthy) Food vs. Fast Food. . .Lin

Chili-Lime Florentine Shrimp

½c white rice

1-2T coconut oil and butter

1-2T chili lime seasoning

½ lg. Roma tomato

½ lg. yellow onion - diced

5 lg. garlic cloves - minced

~ 1c water

~ 2T lemon or lime juice

~ 14 med.-lg. wild ocean Argentina red shrimp

~ a large handful of baby spinach - chopped

Saute' the rice and the next 6 ingredients in that group.  Once the rice is snapping, turn down the heat, simmer and stir a few minutes to blend the flavors.  Cover, turn off the heat and let stand 15 minutes.  Next, add the water, lemon or lime juice, shelled-cleaned shrimp and spinach.  Return the pot to a simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed then plate and serve.  .  .Lin

Andouille and Shrimp Jamba-Gumbo-Laya

8oz. frozen raw shrimp (tail and shell on)

8-12oz Andouille sausage

These were both frozen, and that's a good way to begin.  Remove tails (and shells) from the shrimp, when thawed a bit.  


When the andouille is thawed enough to cut, cut it in rounds, then halves, and some in quarters.  Let both of these thaw together in the large, heavy pot you'll be using.  When they're completely thawed, scoop out the shrimp, cut each one in half, and set them aside.  Do NOT drain liquid from the pot.  Add a little herbed olive oil, toss everything around, then add a cup or two of water.  Bring to a simmer, cover and let slowly simmer, for 30-45 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure there is still water in the pot.  If it gets low, add another cup.  After this, cool a little, then get all the shells out and discard.  While the andouille and shrimp tails-shells are simmering, prep the following vegetables:

1 lg. carrots - sliced

2 lg. ribs of celery - sliced

5 multi-colored mini peppers - chopped

2T garlic--fresh or jarred in olive oil - minced

1-2T herbed olive oil 

½t ground oregano

1t coarse ground garlic salt 

1t fresh ground black pepper

1t Creole, Cajun or Italian seasoning

1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes

1t sugar, brown or white, or honey

½-¾c rice (white, wild, brown and/or red)

1/2c celery heart tops

2 14.5oz cans okra - drained but not rinsed

the shelled--de-tailed shrimp

Slice, chop and mince all the vegetables into a medium size bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients in this group, then toss, several times, marinating in lots of flavor, until the shrimp tails and shells are out of the pot.

Put the contents of this bowl into the pot, with more water now, if needed.  Simmer, covered for half an hour, to an hour or longer, depending on which type of rice you're using and its cooking time.  Add more water if needed, with some chicken soup base, return to a simmer.  

Now add the okra and shrimp.  GENTLY fold those in, so as not to break them up.  Watch, stir gently, and pay attention to the shrimp.  As soon as it begins to turn a coral color, shut off the heat and serve.  This would be great just as it is, a big steamy bowl of it!  Or you could add some slices of a well-buttered, crusty ciabatta, French bread, or sourdough.  Oh my. . .this turned out SO well!  It's great the first day and even better chilled, heated and served the following day. . .Lin

Quick and Easy Gumbo

1 3oz. (or more) andouille sausage

1 med. onion chop-dice

1/2c white 20 minute rice

2T butter

2 cans of the wonderful mix shown 😊

I also added 2 chopped Kumatos *

12-16oz. fresh or frozen jumbo shrimp

Slice or dice the andouille and put in a large, non-stick pan with a little of the onion, rice and butter.  Sauté and stir, like you would for rice pilaf, until the rice begins to brown.  (I used a rice and quinoa mix, but I prefer just rice.)

Add the cans of tomato, okra and corn, additional tomato or Kumato if you want.  Stir, cover and simmer 20 minutes.  At this point, it you'll be eating right away, add the shrimp and slowly stir until the shrimp turn coral-pink.  Turn off the heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.  If you'll be eating later, don't add the shrimp.  The previous steps can be done even a day or two ahead of time, and the shrimp added just before serving. . .Lin

Asparagus-Shrimp and Pasta

8-12oz. frozen raw shrimp

4oz. frozen asparagus

3 lg. garlic cloves

1/2 lg. onion

2-3T butter

a little water

salt-pepper-hot Hungarian paprika

2/3c sour cream

cooked spaghetti, drained

Thaw, shell and de-tail the shrimp.  Combine first 7 ingredients in a big non-stick pan.  Simmer-saute' for 5-10 minutes, covered.  Check the shrimp and asparagus for 'doneness'.  At the very end, just before serving, stir in the sour cream and spaghetti.  Makes 2 big servings.  And...it's...awesome! . . . Lin

Florentine Shrimp and Pasta

10oz. pkg. frozen spinach

1 lg. clove elephant garlic

2T coconut oil or butter

12-16oz. raw frozen shrimp

cayenne pepper - for some wonderful heat  :-)

Himalayan pink salt

2t ± nutmeg

3/4-1c sour cream

chicken bullion and water

perfectly cooked spaghetti

In a large non-stick pan, thaw the spinach - use the liquid.  Heat and break it all up, adding the garlic and coconut oil or butter.  Cover and steam a few minutes.  Push to the edges of the pan and put the shrimp in the middle.  Stir and sauté the shrimp until they begin to color up - they'll go from grey to a beautiful coral color.  Add the seasonings then blend the seasoned shrimp with the spinach.  Add the sour cream and a little chicken 'stock' if needed, then simmer all together a few minutes.  Serve over that wonderful spaghetti.  This is soooo good! . . . Lin

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Salad

8-12 lg. uncooked shrimp
chopped romaine and arugula
sliced onion and avocado
chopped tomato and cucumber

Saute' the shrimp in a little butter or steam in water until the grey color turns to pink-coral.  Let cool just a little. Meanwhile, use the remaining ingredients to make a large tossed salad or two smaller ones.

Add cooled shrimp then drizzle with your favorite dressing.  Since today is Cinco De Mayo, I decided to try a new Chipotle Lime dressing. It was a good choice. . .Lin

Seafood Salad

8oz. cooked shrimp – or

8oz. imitation crab

¼c plain Greek yogurt

¼c mayonnaise

½ med. onion – chopped

¼c sweet or dill pickle – chopped

Chop shrimp, or, flake the imitation crab into a small glass bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve over chopped lettuce. . .Lin

Garlic-Peanut Shrimp* Curry

1 can yellow or red AROY-D curry sauce

1 big spoonful chunky peanut butter

1 med. onion – chopped

3 stalks celery – sliced

2 large carrots – sliced

**½c raisins, prunes or dried apricots - **optional

1 sm. crown broccoli – broken into florets

1-2 med. potatoes peeled and cubed

3 big regular or 1 clove elephant garlic

*1-2# shelled-deveined shrimp

*would also be good with chicken or just

~vegetables

10oz.± coconut milk

Combine first 6 ingredients, adding up to 1 can of water if necessary. Simmer until celery is cooked as you like it. Add broccoli and potatoes cooking until barely tender and color of broccoli brightens. Stir in minced garlic and whole shrimp*. Simmer only until shrimp turns pink-orange. Stir in coconut milk, heat again and serve as is, for a thick curry soup, or omit potatoes and serve over rice noodles. . .Lin