Fried Green Tomatoes with a Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Fried Green Tomatoes with a Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

A couple of weeks ago someone shared a picture of this dish.  I went to the linked blog and they got the idea from a restaurant, now closed, that served it as an appetizer.  I thought it sounded interesting but that’s as far as I got.  Some ideas just hang out in the back of my mind until the opportunity arises and they pop to the forefront.

One of the benefits of living in coastal Virginia, Norfolk to be precise, is that the weather is conducive to keeping a garden running 9 – 10 months of the year.  I left one of my tomato plants when clearing and prepping for the Fall garden and that plant has really taken off.  Several tomatoes got to be of sufficient size to pick green for frying and low and behold the idea for this dish came back.

Being the good Southern boy I am this seems to be a proper Southern dish though more likely to be coastal in origin like Shrimp and Grits were.  I also think this sauce would be good served over rice or pasta as a standalone entrée.

A fine tasty supper

Fried Green Tomatoes with a Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

3 medium size green tomatoes
Seasoned flour
Cornmeal mix
1 egg
Milk
Oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail off, large 35-41
Shrimp dry brine
Cajun seasoning
1 quart canned tomatoes, drained juice retained
1 shallot, fine dice
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs dry basil or ¼ cup minced fresh basil
¼ - ½ cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Vodka
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt

Fried Green Tomatoes.  Make an egg wash using the egg and milk.  Slice tomatoes ½ inch thick.  Dust in seasoned flour, dip in the egg wash, then coat with the cornmeal mix.  Set on rack to dry while the oil heats in the skillet.  Fry until golden on both sides and tomato is done but still has a little firmness.

Sprinkle the dry brine over the shrimp and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Rinse the dry brine off with cold water and dry the shrimp then season to your preferred level with Cajun seasoning.  Keep ready to add to the sauce.

Melt the butter in a pot then add the shallot and garlic.  Once the shallot turns  translucent add the tomatoes.  Roughly break up the tomatoes with a spoon and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the basil and the red pepper flakes.  Add ¼ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup reserved tomato juice and the 1/4 cup vodka and mix well.  Add more if you want the sauce more liquid or if it reduces too much.  Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes then stir in the seasoned shrimp just before the tomatoes are done.  It will take the shrimp just 4 – 5 minutes to cook at the simmer.  Taste and add salt if needed.

To serve, arrange 3 slices of fried green tomato on a plate and top with the Shrimp and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce.  Rice or the Rice/Quinoa mix from Rice Selects is an excellent accompaniment.

Notes:  Seasoned flour and the cornmeal mix is something I make and keep on hand in the freezer.  The seasoned flour is simply AP flour with salt, pepper, and garlic powder added.  The cornmeal mix is 3 parts cornmeal to 2 parts cornstarch and salt.  The cornmeal mix is used for fried green tomatoes, fried shrimp, and fried okra.  The seasoned flour gets used for fried chicken and as a base coat before the egg wash for anything coated with the cornmeal mix.

As noted above, this sauce would be good with rice or pasta.  I can attest that it is good with rice as I had it that way for lunch using some leftovers.  The sauce, like many things, improves in flavor after sitting a day or two.  To reheat, just put in a pot on medium heat and bring to a simmer and serve so the shrimp doesn’t overcook.

I hope you give this recipe a try.  It will definitely be a recurring dish here at One Tree Orchard.  As usual you can tweak things to suit your taste.  Let me know what you think.

Uncle T.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Shrimp in a White Wine Butter Sauce

I know I've done pasta posts but this is a bit different.  Some time back, I gave away my hand cranked pasta roller because we came across a good deal on the pasta roller attachment to the KitchenAid stand mixer.  This was the first time I've made pasta since buying that roller.  I must say, having two hands to work the pasta dough and being able to adjust the thickness knob on the fly make a huge difference.  As an extra, the grandbaby liked watching me run the dough through the roller.


I used my usual pasta recipe for the ravioli since I've found no need to try another.  To form the ravioli I used my Fantes Grandpa Dante's Ravioli Maker to make the ravioli.  I can recommend this ravioli maker without reservation. 

Ravioli filled and ready to cover

Besides the pasta, you'll need some roasted butternut squash.  In case you've never roasted butternut squash I'll include how I do it.  Cut the squash into 1/2 - 3/4 inch rounds.  Cut the rounds in half.  The skin can now be easily cut from the half round.  Cut the half round in half again cutting parallel to the initial cut.  Cut those pieces into cubes that are approximately the same size on all sides.  Put in a bowl until the whole squash is cubed.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss.  Add salt and pepper and toss.  Dump onto a baking sheet and spread out then place in a pre-heated 425F oven.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn the squash cubes.  Return pan of squash to the oven and cook another 10 minutes or until the desired degree of caramelization is achieved.  Remove from oven and  serve.

Boil in salted water

I used left over roasted butternut squash to make the ravioli.  I only had about a cup or so left over.  I warmed them up and mashed with a fork and called it good.  I used a slightly under filled #70 portion dipper to fill the ravioli.  I've since bought a #100 to be able to fill the ravioli without having to estimate the fill with the #70.

All sauced up and ready to serve

I rolled the pasta dough out to the #5 thickness with the KitchenAid pasta roller.  I didn't want to get too thin and risk the ravioli breaking.  Next time I think I'll go to #6 on the thickness to make the ravioli a bit lighter.  What seemed to work best was to roll out the two sheets for the top and bottom of the ravioli before starting to make it.  The first batch I rolled out the bottom sheet and put it on the form then rolled out the top.  Once the bottom sheet is on the ravioli form, use the mold to push down and form the pocket.  Put in the filling, making sure to not get it on the edges of the ravioli.  Place the top sheet of pasta over the form and press down.  Then roll over the form with a rolling pin to seal the ravioli and cut through the pasta.  Turn the form upside down over a lightly floured sheet pan and gently push the ravioli out of the form.  Add the ravioli to boiling water and cook about 5 minutes.

Plated up ready to eat

The shrimp and white wine butter sauce is fairly simple.  I used 36-41 size shrimp because that is what I had in the freezer.  Once thawed, I removed the tails and did a dry brine with a mix of salt and sugar for about 10 minutes.  Melt 4 Tbs of butter is a large skillet and add the shrimp.  Once the shrimp are half done, turn then add the white wine.  I eye balled it but used about 1/2 cup of white wine.  Once the wine has cooked down and the shrimp are done add another 2 - 3 Tbs of butter and add the ravioli.  Stir/toss the ravioli into the shrimp and the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens a bit.  The flour in the pasta water should help this.  If it doesn't thicken to your satisfaction you can use a little corn starch mixed in water to thicken the sauce.  Plate the ravioli with some shrimp and the white wine butter sauce and grate or shave some Parmesan cheese over the top.  Some crusty bread or a light salad is all you need to accompany this for a good meal.

A nicely filled ravioli

Give this a try and let me know what you think.


Uncle T

Shrimp and Eggplant

Some months back I was watching a chef prepare a dish on one of the morning shows.  The silly sort of thing you do when everything is closed down due to snow.  All I can remember of the segment was him using chunks of eggplant, tomatoes, and shrimp.  Based on that I decided to make a supper based on my memory of that dish.

I used a couple of things from one of our favorite stores, Leila's Mediterranean Market.  The family that owns is originally from Lebanon and they have olive oil from family olive groves in the store.  One of the things I used was a 7 spice blend and the other was some harissa that I'd gotten to use in making some merguez sausage.  Harissa is a chili paste used as seasoning throughout the middle east.

This is a quick easy meal to make and if you have to count carbs for dietary reasons this variation is for you.

Shrimp and Eggplant

1 lb shrimp, I used 31-40 size and pulled the tails off
1 eggplant
1 can tomatoes, diced or whole
3 Tbs harissa
2 Tbs Arabic 7 spice blend
salt
pepper (optional)
sesame oil

Peel the eggplant and cut it into 3/4 inch chunks.  Put in a bowl and toss with the Arabic 7 spice to coat.  Add sesame oil to a skillet and get it hot.  Add the eggplant chunks and let fry until the side that's down is browned.  Turn the eggplant to fry the top side.  When the top is browned add the tomatoes and their juice to the skillet.  If using whole tomatoes roughly break them up.  Add the harissa and mix into the tomato and eggplant mixture.  Add salt to taste and pepper if using.  Bring to a simmer and add the shrimp.  Keep simmering until the shrimp are done which should only take a few minutes.  Spoon over couscous or cauliflower substitute and serve.  Depending on the size of the eggplant this will serve 3 - 4 people.

To make the cauliflower couscous run the cauliflower over a grater.  Put the grated cauliflower into a hot skillet with melted butter.  Stir or toss the cauliflower until it is heated through.  Plate it and add the shrimp and eggplant.

Shrimp and eggplant served over cauliflower

Based on rough estimates, the pictured plate came to  25 grams of carbs.  If you have having to watch your carbs due to diabetes then this is a good meal that is fairly low in carbs.

If you give this a try let me know what you think.  Get in the kitchen and have fun.

Uncle T

Shrimp and Grits

According to all the history I can find, shrimp and grits was a breakfast meal in the low country.  It was as simple as its name.  While the grits were cooking, someone would head to the docks to buy freshly caught shrimp.  The shrimp would be boiled or cooked in bacon grease and then be served with the grits.  A great combination to get you through the day until supper.


As time went on, people started adding things to improve the flavor.  Eventually, restaurants got into the shrimp and grits game and most every chef will have their own take on the dish.  Today, shrimp and grits is a lunch or supper meal instead of a breakfast meal.  Just like chefs playing with the dish, most people have their own take on it though most are fairly similar.


A word on grits, use real grits for this dish.  The boy called a couple of weeks ago to relay something he'd found in a cook book.  He has inherited from both the good wife and me a love of good cooking and acquiring cook books.  He was looking for a recipe for shrimp and grits and found one in a Southern Living cook book that called for instant grits.  He knew that the proper thing in the grit eating world was regular stone ground grits that take 25 - 30 minutes to cook properly.  Instant and quick grits just don't have the proper flavor, texture, or consistency.


I've seen a few recipes for shrimp and grits that use sausage of some sort but most call for bacon.  Personally, I like using bacon for my shrimp and grits.  I made some Andouille sausage a week ago so I may use some of it for shrimp and grits just to experiment a bit.




Shrimp and Grits


1 lb peeled deveined shrimp, 25 - 30 count
6 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 medium onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small
2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
cumin
cayenne
2 cups stone ground grits
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
butter
white wine


For the grits, in a large pot combine the water, milk, and about a tablespoon of salt.  Turn heat to medium to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Slowly add the grits stirring constantly to avoid clumps.  Once the grits are fully stirred in bring the pot down to a simmer and put the lid on.  Stir every 3 - 5 minutes until the grits are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  This can take from 20 - 30 minutes.  Once the grits are done, stir in the grated cheddar cheese a bit at a time for easier melting.


The shrimp can be done either with the tails or without.  Season them with salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne according to your taste and let them sit while the bacon is cooking.  I go a bit light on the cumin and cayenne since I just want a hint of the flavors for the sauce.


In a large skillet, brown the bacon without getting it crispy.  Remove it from the skillet and let cool.  Once cool, chop it into small pieces.  Using the grease rendered from the bacon cook the onions, pepper, and garlic until they are soft and the onion is translucent.  Add the shrimp to the onion and pepper mixture, make sure they are in a single layer to cook uniformly.  Turn the shrimp when they are halfway done and add the bacon back to the skillet.  Add 2 - 3 Tbs of butter to the skillet and let melt then toss or stir to mix the butter in well.  Add about a 1/2 cup of white wine, I use the two glug method, and stir in.  Let the whole mixture simmer until it reduces to a nice sauce.  The sauce won't be thick but it will coat the back of a spoon good.  This should happen about the time the shrimp are done.


Spoon grits into a bowl.  Spoon some of the shrimp onto the grits and then add some of the sauce.  This should serve 4 people.  You can either pile the shrimp in the middle of the grits or line the edge of the bowl with them.  It just depends on the type of presentation you prefer.

A tasty bowl of shrimp and grits

Now, let me tell you how I don't follow my recipe.  I generally slice my bacon before I cook it.  I pull the slices from the package in a solid piece then slice it about 1/4 inch wide sections.  I put the sections in the skillet cut side down.  Once the bacon has been cooking for a bit, I mash the sections with my tongs and the individual pieces separate nicely.  I find I can get a more even color and doneness than doing whole slices.  I also use a bit of shrimp broth to cook my grits.  Whenever we have shrimp, the shell and tails get put in a bag in the freezer.  When I want shrimp and grits or gumbo, I dump the shrimp parts in the pressure cooker, cover them with water, and 30 minutes later I have some wonderfully shrimp broth.  For shrimp and grits, I substitute 1 cup of shrimp broth for 1 cup water.  I just want the hint of shrimp in the grits.  Another thing you can do, especially if you want a bit more bite to your grits is use some buttermilk in place of whole milk.  I tend to reserve this for when I'm short on sharp cheddar and don't want to run to the store to get more.  I also generally use 2 or 3 of the small sweet peppers that come in a mixed bag of yellow, orange, and red.  I have these on hand most times and I like the color variation.  I'll also pull some onions from the garden and use both the white and green part.


A variation I have used is to use some of my Sriracha bacon.  Since the Sriracha flavor is not really pronounced in my bacon I added a squirt of Sriracha to the skillet while I was building the sauce.  It turned out really nice and flavorful.


This is a rather simple recipe and a dish that lends itself to experimentation.  The only hard part is finding the patience to make a good pot of grits.  An old school Southerner won't consider it difficult to properly cook grits because that's what we grew up with.  If you want to know how seriously the South takes their grits, review the movie My Cousin Vinny.  Here's a quote from the movie, "No self-respectin' Southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits."


So, give this recipe a try and let me know how you like shrimp and grits.


Uncle T

Shark and shrimp

I know I've mentioned my favorite store, Grand Mart, before.  One of the things I like about them is their seafood department.  They have a large selection of fresh seafood and a huge selection of frozen seafood.  They even have fish with which I am unfamiliar time to time.  If you can find a good seafood source near you then your culinary life is good.

I'd made the trip to Grand Mart myself to pick up a couple of things and just had to cruise through the seafood department.  Seafood wasn't on my list but, hey, me being me I have to check the seafood and meat departments at each visit.  Luckily for me, they had shard steaks on sale so I managed to grab the last two.  See what happens when I shop alone?

Shark and Shrimp ready for the grill

Usually when I grill shark I season it with just salt and pepper to let the flavor of the shark be foremost.  This time, I was wanting to experiment a bit so I decided to marinate the shark in Gochujang prior to grilling.  I then decided to marinate some shrimp in Doenjang and grill them as well.  To recap, Gochujang is Korean fermented red pepper paste used in many recipes and in making kimchi.  Doenjang is fermented soybean paste, basically the Korean version of miso.  Both have wonderful flavors to compliment most anything you want to cook.  Both the shark and the shrimp marinated for an hour and a half before they headed to the grill.

Shark and Shrimp on the grill

The shark and shrimp went on the grill at the same time.  Since I was using the gas grill I turned the side with the shrimp down so both would be done at the same time.  The shark was cooked to an internal temperature of 145 making it a nice medium.  The shrimp were cooked to color as usual.  As you can see in the picture, the Gochujang got cooked onto the shark as the water evaporated leaving a nice color to the shark steaks.  As a note, the spicy heat of the Gochujang is mellowed during the grilling so don't worry about it being overly spicy.  If you want more heat, make a finishing sauce using some Gochujang.

Shark and Shrimp are done

To accompany the shark and shrimp, we had Parmesan roasted potatoes and sliced carrots sautéed in butter.  I think they'd been equally as good served with some rice and kimchi or rice and water kimchi.

A tasty slightly spicy supper

If you have a Korean or even a generic Asian market near enough, get some Gochujang or Doenjang to add to your pantry.  They both work well with pork as well as seafood and can add a depth of flavor to soups and stews.  They can also be combined with other ingredients to make some interesting sauces.  Give one or both of these a go in your cooking and you'll be hooked.

Uncle T



Red Rice and Shrimp with Boiled Okra

Rice has been a staple in the South for a long time.  It is more prevalent in the Low Country cuisine of the Carolinas and in the Cajun and Creole cuisine of Louisiana.  Still, I remember eating rice while growing up in Tennessee.  Between the presence of rice in Southern cooking and in the Korean and Thai cooking we enjoy, the good wife and I eat a fair bit of rice.  Cooking rice in my pressure cooker makes it an easy choice for many meals.

Red Rice and Shrimp with Boiled Okra

I'm not sure where or when I first saw anything about red rice.  It's not something we ate growing up.  I've been trying to come up with ways to use more of our canned tomatoes and this came to mind.  Plus shrimp and rice are an excellent combination so it just went from there.


Even though our okra is anywhere from almost upright to almost parallel to the ground after the edge of hurricane Matthew hit us, it is still producing.  Since the good wife prefers boiled okra and we had plenty of the smaller pods it was a match made in heaven.  Making good non-slimy boiled okra is detailed in this post, Boiled Okra.  The only change was that I added some of my Cajun style seasoning to the butter instead of using hot peppers.


Red Rice and Shrimp


1.5 cups rice
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1.5 tsp Tarragon
1.5 tsp Oregano
1.5 lbs shrimp, 31-35
6 Tbs butter
Cajun seasoning
salt


Cook the rice according to the method you use.  I used the pressure cooker set for 7 minutes.  Divide the red onion into quarters and slice.  Julienne the bell pepper to strips about the same length as the red onion slices.  Melt 2 Tbs butter in a skillet and add both the red onion and bell pepper and sprinkle with a bit of salt.  Sautee' until they are tender.  When the rice is done, add the red onion and bell pepper to it and stir.  Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid, and add to the rice.  Break up the tomatoes and stir into the rice mixture.  Add the Tarragon and Oregano and stir.  Season the rice mixture to taste with the Cajun seasoning.  Add the reserved tomato juice until you get the consistency you want.  Keep warm and let the flavors meld.  Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning.  Melt the remaining 4 Tbs butter in a skillet and add the shrimp.  Cook until done and add to the rice mixture.  Stir to combine.  Serve with boiled okra and enjoy.  Serves 4.

A colorful and tasty meal

The shrimp can be left tail on if you like the look of for presentation purposes.  I pinch the tails off because I'd rather not have to fool with it while I'm eating.  If you take the tails off, keep them in the freezer until you have enough to make some good shrimp broth for making seafood soups.  I prefer 31-35 size shrimp because they are small enough to eat with one bite and not have your mouth too full and can be cut in half to eat with some of the rice.


I believe that chicken cut into bite size pieces and given the same treatment as the shrimp would work for folks that are allergic to shellfish.  I'll have to give that a try sometime.


There are many Cajun style seasonings available.  I was given some called "Slap Ya Momma" several years ago and we like it.  Since that can ran out, I've devised my own version of it to avoid having to order it since I've not seen it in stores in Virginia.  If you don't have a preferred seasoning look this one up and order it.


If the tomatoes don't have enough juice to get the consistency you want, add a bit of water or even white wine.  For the first meal, the home canned tomatoes had enough juice to get the consistency I wanted and enough left over for the good wife to drink the next day.  When I reheated the leftovers I used some left over white wine for some additional liquid.  It did add something more to it than water would have.


See, another fairly quick meal that packs a punch of flavor.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.


Uncle T

Shrimp in a Peanut Garlic Sauce

By now, you've probably figured out that we enjoy the cuisine of many countries.  Indian food is no different.  We've always gone to an Indian restaurant since all the recipes I've looked at have always seemed either overly complicated or had several ingredients that I don't keep on hand and didn't know where to find.  There may be one but I've not found an Indian market close to us where I could get those ingredients.


I was looking around at Indian and Indian inspired recipes last week and I found one that had ingredients that I had or could alter to what I had on hand.  Using what I had on hand also changed both the texture and flavor profile.  We've decided that this is a keeper recipe.  I'm calling this an Indian inspired recipe because I adapted a recipe that was adapted from a curry cookbook that was written by an Indian Chef, 660 Curries.  From what I've read about the author I may have to get this book.


One of the key changes was in the peanut requirement.  The original called for blanched peanuts to be crushed and added to the sauce.  Those peanuts are rather flavorless and only provide a bit of texture to the sauce.  I decided to use some of our homemade mixed nut butter instead.  I leave a bit of graininess to this butter when I process it and the flavor is out of this world. 


This shrimp dish is good served over rice or cauliflower rice.  Not only that, it is quick and simple to make. 


Shrimp in Peanut Garlic Sauce


1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, size is your preference
1/2 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 cup nut butter
4 - 8 large cloves garlic
3 Thai chilies
2 Tbs canola oil
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
salt
cilantro


Place shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with ground turmeric to suit you.  I was using 35 - 40 size shrimp so I used a good teaspoon of turmeric.  Toss to coat well and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes.


While the shrimp is sitting, mince the garlic and chilies.  Add the oil to a skillet and bring up to medium heat.  Add the garlic and chilies and stir.  After they've cooked about a minute, add the nut butter and stir.


Once the nut butter, garlic, and chilies have browned a bit, stir in the coconut milk.  Be sure to shake the can before you open it.  Bring it up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Add salt to taste.  Simmer for 2 minutes and add the shrimp.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until shrimp are done, about 3 - 5 minutes.


Serve over rice or cauliflower rice and sprinkle with cilantro.

Shrimp in a Peanut Garlic Sauce over Cauliflower Rice

I used some of my dried Thai Dragon peppers instead of fresh peppers because I didn't grow any Thai peppers this year.  I just minced them up dry instead of rehydrating them.  If you can't find Thai peppers then cayenne peppers are a good substitute.  You should be able to find both at a good Asian store.


Give this recipe a try and expand your kitchen repertoire.

Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

A good bit of the fruit and vegetables that we eat comes from our garden and fruit trees.  At the peak of each season the good wife is kept busy canning the excess so we can eat it throughout the year until the next harvest season.  Tomatoes have been coming in strong for a bit now and we have 17 pints of homemade ketchup and 11 quarts and 1 pint of tomatoes canned for making sauces or adding to stews.  Earlier in the season the good wife found a website, http://joybileefarm.com/making-tomato-powder-scratch/?utm_content=buffer67519&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer, suggested an alternate use for the tomato skins that get removed prior to processing and canning.  The use she found was drying and grinding to powder to use for seasoning, thickening, etc.  Making powder was in lieu of composting or feeding to the chickens according to the website.  We'd always composted them.  The process is simple, put the tomato skins in a dehydrator or on a rack in the oven at the lowest temperature setting and letting dry until they were brittle.  Once they are brittle put in them in a food processor, blender, or spice mill.  I used the dry blade container for the Vitamix.  The powder is concentrated tomato flavor.

Tomato skins laid out ready to dry

Tomato powder

To this point we have about two cups of tomato powder and I was brainstorming on a use.  I've been trying flavored pastas with mixed results so I decided to use the same technique I'd used for some mushroom Fettuccine.  Once I had decided on pasta I Googled to see if tomato pasta was a thing.  Unsurprisingly, it was.  They all used tomato paste and it only seemed to be there to color the pasta and add a bare hint of flavor.  I figured my way would yield good flavor and color.

Tomato pasta freshly kneaded and ready to rest

What kind of pasta to make generated some discussion at work during a break.  The choices came down to cheese and shrimp stuffed ravioli or fettuccine.  I settled on fettuccine because it would be less labor intensive and I was wanting to use some asparagus that I had in the refrigerator.  I only had about 8 ounces of mushrooms on hand so I didn't have as many as I'd have liked.

Tomato Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

Pasta:
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs tomato powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs water

1 lb 31-35 count shrimp
1 lb asparagus
1 medium onion
1/2 - 1 lb mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 stick butter
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning

For the pasta:  Combine the flour, the tomato powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs, water, and olive oil.  Mix everything together until well combined and turn out on a floured surface.  Knead the pasta until it is smooth and elastic.  Wrap in plastic and let it sit for 20 minutes.  Divide into 4 pieces and roll to desired thickness and cut to the size you want.  After the pasta is cut place in well salted boiling water and cook until almost done.

Tomato pasta ready to run through the cutter

While the pasta dough is resting, cut the asparagus into bite size pieces, thinly slice the onion, and slice the mushrooms.  In 2 Tbs of  butter sautee the asparagus and onion, season to taste, and then place in a bowl.  Sautee the mushrooms in 2 Tbs of butter until they are done and put in the bowl with the asparagus and onion.  Place the shrimp in the skillet with the rest of the butter and put the pasta into the boiling water.  Cook the shrimp until almost done then add the rest of the ingredients back to the skillet.  Pour in the wine and stir to combine well.  Transfer the almost done pasta to the skillet.  Stir to combine the pasta and other ingredients.  The butter, wine, and pasta water will combine and make a sauce to coat everything.  Plate and serve.  This will serve 4 as an entree.

Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

If you don't have tomato powder, I believe tomato paste could be used for the same effect.  I would add a 6 oz can along with the wet ingredients and add additional flour to achieve the desired consistency.  I also think you could thinly slice Roma tomatoes and dry them until brittle and grind them into your own tomato powder.  I may have to break out the dehydrator to see how that works.

A tasty supper of Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

The final product had a distinct tomato flavor that went well with the shrimp, asparagus, and wine sauce.  The color is nice as well.

Give this pasta a try along with whatever you think will go well with it or use this whole recipe.  Either way, let me know what you think of the tomato pasta.

Uncle T

Sprouted Rice and Quinoa with Seafood in a White Wine Butter Sauce

We were doing our grocery shopping this weekend and one of the stops was at BJs.  BJs is a warehouse store similar to Costco and Sam's Club.  One of the things on our list was rice so we checked to see if they had what we were wanting in a manageable size container.  As I turned into that aisle a package caught my eye.  I took a quick look then went further down to look at the rice.  As I returned I stopped to look a bit more closely at the package.  The reason it caught my eye was that it was Quinoa and Sprouted Rice.

Now, we've tried Quinoa since it was the Grain de Jour but weren't sufficiently impressed to continue paying for it.  I've been reading about the changes in both flavor and nutrition in sprouted grains but had not seen any for sale and hadn't tried sprouting my own.  The combo of the two intrigued me so we took a chance and bought the 3 lb bag.  What we got was made by Tru Roots.  If you are not near a store that carries it you can get it here, http://www.amazon.com/truRoots-Organic-Sprouted-Quinoa-Blend/dp/B008KAILNK.

Our next stop was at our favorite international market, Grand Mart, in search of dried mushrooms for a project I have in mind.  I know I've mentioned this store before.  They carry predominantly Asian products and have an excellent fish market.  As we came through the door, my good wife pointed out a sign advertising a sale on squid.  Needless to say, we both got excited.

We ended up getting some squid to use for our Sunday dinner and a nice octopus for supper on Monday.  Yep, expect that post to follow shortly.

Cleaned Squid ready to skin and cut up

I still hadn't decided what I was going to do with the squid until we got home from church Sunday morning.  I had two choices which were pasta with the squid or use the sprouted rice and quinoa blend.  When presented the choice, the good wife chose the sprouted rice and quinoa blend.  After that it was time to get busy.

I cooked the sprouted rice and quinoa in the pressure cooker.  I set it for 7 minutes rather than the 6 minutes for regular rice and let it lose pressure naturally while everything else cooked.  The only extra added to this was the olive oil I used to keep it from foaming.  Once it was done the sprouted rice and quinoa had a nice texture and good flavor.  The texture was slightly chewier than al dente pasta, just enough to know you had something substantial without being tiresome.  The flavor was lightly toasted and quite enjoyable.

A bowl of Sprouted Rice and Quinoa ready for the Seafood and Sauce

So without further ado, let's get into the recipe.

Sprouted Rice and Quinoa with Seafood in a White Wine Butter Sauce

Sprouted Rice and Quinoa
Water
1 lb peeled deveined shrimp, tails removed
1 lb fresh squid, cut in 1/4 inch rings
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 stick butter
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
fresh herbs, minced (basil, thyme, oregano, sage)

Cook sprouted rice and quinoa according to package directions.  If using an electric pressure cooker, use two cups of the sprouted rice and quinoa and water to the two cup line.  Set time for 7 minutes and allow to naturally release the pressure when the time is done.

While the rice and quinoa is cooking start the seafood and wine sauce.  Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet.  When it starts to bubble, add the mushrooms and cook until they get some color.  Once the mushrooms are done, add the shrimp and the rest of the butter.  Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic.  When the shrimp is half done add the squid and the fresh herbs.  After a minute of the squid cooking add the white wine.  Once the white wine is at a simmer add the Parmesan cheese and stir to mix.  Continue to simmer until reduced by half stirring frequently.

Shrimp, Squid, and Mushrooms in a White Wine and Butter Sauce

Once the white wine and butter sauce is reduced remove from heat.  Divide the sprouted rice and quinoa between 4 pasta bowls.  Spread the seafood and mushrooms around the mounds of sprouted rice and quinoa then pour the sauce over the grain mixture.  Garnish with minced parsley and serve.

A tasty filling lunch

Squid is one of those things that need to be cooked fast at a high temperature or a long time at a low temperature.  Simmering the sauce covers the long and low technique.  This gets the squid cooked without being overly chewy.

The good wife has enjoyed most everything I've come up with but this one seemed to make a serious impression.  She actually said this meal was restaurant worthy and was the sort of thing that people would pay serious money on.  Rare praise indeed.

Whether you use this recipe or not I think you should give the sprouted rice and quinoa a try.  It can be used in place of rice in most any dish and as the base for a healthy salad.  Eat it for the flavor and texture if not for the nutrition.  Give both the sprouted rice quinoa mixture and this recipe a try and I think you'll enjoy it.  If you do, let me know what you think.

Uncle T

Shrimp Alfredo with Cottage Cheese

There is a dairy that still delivers that we were introduced to shortly after we moved to this area.  A representative had a booth set up at a farmer's market in one of the local cities.  Of course she had samples and was signing people up for delivery.  I tried the whole milk and the chocolate milk and was blown away.  The whole milk was the best tasting milk and closest to raw milk I've come across.  As a result, we have a standing order consisting of whole milk, 2% milk, 1% and 4% cottage cheese, and eggs that get delivered each week.  If you live in an area where Oberweis delivers you are lucky and should look into getting your milk through them.


I used to take the 4% cottage cheese to work and eat it throughout the week.  Due to a couple of office moves I'm not eating near as much as I used to.  Since I had forgotten to cancel the 4% cottage cheese from the order for a few weeks we ended up with way too much 4% cottage cheese on hand.  One evening the good wife declared that I need to eat more cottage cheese or find a way to cook with it.


I looked online for cooking with cottage cheese and found some bread recipes that I'm wanting to try.  I had thought about using it for a pasta sauce and had it planned out when I decided to Google cottage cheese pasta sauce.  I found plenty of recipes for making an Alfredo type sauce using cottage cheese but they all called for low fat cottage cheese and either 1% or 2% milk.  You know Uncle T doesn't play that way.  In the end, I went with the plan I already had and it turned out great if I do say so myself.


Shrimp Alfredo


1 - 1.5 lb peeled deveined shrimp, large 31-35
1 recipe fresh pasta or 1 lb dried fettuccini
1 cup whole milk
16 oz 4% cottage cheese
3 Tbs butter
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
salt
pepper
nutmeg
garlic powder


Sauce


Melt butter in a pot and add the garlic.  Cook until the edges of the garlic turn golden.  Add the milk and bring to a simmer.  Add the cottage cheese and stir to mix well.  Bring to a simmer and add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.  To help speed the melting of the cheese use an immersion blender to break up the cottage cheese.  Season with a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of pepper, and a pinch of salt and stir.  Once the cheeses are melted keep the sauce on low heat until everything else is ready.


Fettuccini


If making fresh pasta, cut the noodles and cook in heavily salted water.  Prepare dried fettuccini according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Time the pasta to be almost done at the same time the shrimp are almost done.


Shrimp


Remove the tails from the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before you start the sauce.  Once the sauce is done, heat a large skillet and add the olive oil.  Once the olive oil is hot add the shrimp.  When the shrimp are half done, turn them over to finish cooking.


Once the shrimp have been turned over remove the fettuccini from the pot and add to the skillet.  Don't worry about any extra pasta water that gets in the skillet.  Pour in half the sauce and stir to combine.  Keep adding sauce a little at a time until all the pasta and shrimp have a light coat of sauce.  I had about 1/3 of the sauce left.  Once all the components are mixed it is time to eat.  Serve and enjoy.  Makes 4 servings.

Shrimp Alfredo made with Cottage Cheese

I had sauce left over because we don't like to have the shrimp and pasta swimming in pool of sauce.  If you like lots of sauce then add it all.  My left over sauce will be used in a potato soup so be on the look out for that in the future.


I used my immersion blender to help things along but it is not necessary.  The cottage cheese and parmesan cheese will melt while you stir but will take longer.  If you want to speed things up and don't have an immersion blender carefully pour the sauce into a regular blender to reduce the size of the curds then return the sauce to the pot.


Do be sure to use good parmesan cheese for this.  If you use pre-grated cheese make sure it is a good quality parmesan.  If it is sitting out on the store shelves don't get it, look in the dairy cooler.  Of course grating a wedge of parmesan would yield the best sauce.  I use a good quality grated parmesan that I find in the dairy cooler.


This is a rich creamy sauce that is still lighter than a traditionally made Alfredo sauce made with heavy cream.  If you want to try it with low fat milk and 1% cottage cheese go ahead but I'll not guarantee the results.


Give this a try and let me know what you think.  I do believe you'll enjoy it.


Uncle T

Farfalle (Bow-tie Pasta) with Shrimp and Asparagus

Since it is spring and the season for asparagus I try to use it in as many meals as possible while the prices are low.  We like asparagus with  pasta anyway so it was a natural choice.  Something else I'm going to try with asparagus is lacto fermenting so look for that in the not too distant future.  Once using the asparagus in a pasta dish was settled on, I had to decide what I would add to it and which pasta to use.  Then the idea of farfalle and shrimp popped in my head and I was off and running.   My inspiration came from an item offered for sale to the military for use in Dining Facilities.  That item is a boil in the bag farfalle with shrimp in a butter sauce.


I did a Google search and only found one recipe for farfalle with shrimp and asparagus and it used a tomato based sauce.  I wanted the flavors of the shrimp and asparagus to shine rather than being reduced or overwhelmed by tomato flavor.  A butter sauce seemed to be the answer.


Making fresh farfalle was an interesting experience to say the least.  I'll probably do it again though I don't know that I'll make it fresh every time.  Like all fresh pasta, it is a bit time consuming and probably should have  taken more time.  I say that because the sizes of the farfalle were inconsistent.  To fix that I would need to use a ruler, though that wouldn't add too much time.  Then, once they are all cut you have to go through and pinch them all in the middle to form the proper shape.  That part went well even though some did open up a bit in the water.  I ended up using half of the pasta dough to make the farfalle and the rest was cut into spaghetti to cook and use later.  The half recipe made enough farfalle that the final dish made two suppers for the good wife and me.  After we finished our meal the first night, I put the picture on and caption on Facebook and my mother asked what farfalle was so I added the common US name in the title of this post.


Farfalle with Shrimp and Asparagus


4 servings dried farfalle or equivalent fresh pasta
1 lb asparagus
1 lb 21 - 25 size shrimp, peeled with the tails off
6 Tbs butter, I used salted
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper


Remove the tough lower part of the asparagus stalks and cut the remaining part into bite size lengths, about 1.5 inches.  Melt 4 Tbs butter in large skillet and add the asparagus and garlic when the butter starts to foam.  When the asparagus is partially cooked, about 3 minutes, add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  The pasta should be almost done about the time the shrimp are almost cooked through.  With the fresh pasta I added the pasta to the boiling water immediately after adding the shrimp to the skillet.  When the shrimp are almost done, remove the farfalle from the boiling water and add to the skillet; don't worry if it is not completely drained.  Add the remaining 2 Tbs butter to the skillet and stir to combine.  Let it sit on medium heat until the last butter is melted then stir to distribute evenly.  The butter should combine with the pasta water that came with the farfalle to make a light buttery sauce.  Serve with some grated parmesan cheese and hot crusty bread and enjoy.

Shrimp and Asparagus ready for the Farfalle

If using dried pasta this meal comes together quickly so it makes for a good mid-week meal.  If you buy peeled deveined shrimp, by the time the water for the pasta has come to a boil you can have the prep work done.  Of course, the prep work only consists of pinching off the shrimp tail and cutting up the asparagus.  Get a good loaf of bread from bakery on the way home and you are good to go. 

My plate of goodness

If you want to be a bit healthier you can substitute some good olive oil for the butter at the end.  You know I didn't do it that way.  I think some good extra virgin olive oil would add a nice green note that would compliment the asparagus.


Give this a try some evening and I think you'll be pleased with the result.  Remember, cooking shouldn't be a chore so experiment and have fun in the kitchen.  Let me know what you think of this dish.


Uncle T

Spicy Seafood Stew

One of the benefits of living in coastal Virginia is the availability of a wide array of fresh seafood.  Plus, if a particular seafood isn't available locally we are close enough to get it shipped fresh and still maintain a high quality.  This brings us to mussels.


The good wife and I got introduced to mussels while stationed in Germany.  After all, they weren't very common in Tennessee when we were growing up.  Once we got back to the states we found that we'd have to get fresh mussels and prepare them ourselves if we wanted them since their use is not common in most American restaurants.  That said, when we find mussels for a good price we snatch them up and indulge ourselves.


Normally, we do mussels in a white wine sauce with some good crusty bread.  However, the good price we found was for a 10 lb bag so I get to play around more.  Since it is getting cold soups and stews feature prominently in our menu so it was only natural to use the mussels in a soup or stew.  I looked around at various recipes and thought about what else I had available and came up with this recipe.

Harvest tag indicating where the mussels were harvested

Be sure to clean the mussels before you put them in the stew.  Cleaning mussels is fairly simple, make sure there is no loose sand on the shell and pull off the beards.  Also at this time discard any that are gaping open and won't close when handled.


2 lbs of mussels, cleaned and ready for the pot

1 lb each of cod and shrimp, ready for the pot

Spicy Seafood Stew


1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 lb cod or other firm white fish
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed optional
2 lbs mussels
1 large onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups fish broth
6 cups chicken broth, optional
3 Tbs fish sauce, optional


Brown sausage in a deep pot and break it up to desired size.  If you get sausage in casings remove the casings.  Remove the browned sausage from the pot.  Put the onion and garlic in the sausage grease and sauté until translucent.  Add the tomato paste and stir together.  Cook until the tomato paste has darkened a bit then add the diced tomatoes.  Cook until the tomatoes start to simmer then add the wine and fish broth.  Bring to a simmer.  If you don't have or can't find fish broth you can use chicken broth and the fish sauce to make a substitute.  Once the liquid is simmering return the sausage to the pot.  Stir to mix and return to a simmer.  Add the cod, cut into 1 inch pieces, and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Add the mussels and gently stir and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.  Add the shrimp and gently stir then cook until the shrimp are done.  The shrimp should be done in about 3 minutes.  Ladle into a bowl and serve with crusty bread.  This makes 4 - 6 servings.

A nice bowl of spicy seafood stew

This stew ends up being nicely spiced but not so much that the seafood is over shadowed.  The broth is excellent sopped up with the bread.  I think an excellent substitution would be using Spanish chorizo in place of the hot Italian sausage.  You would just need to add some olive oil to the pot so you'd be able to sauté the onions.


The next time you're wanting a good stew then give this one a try.  Too many stores have decent fish markets now not to try it.  If you do try it let me know how it turns out.


Uncle T