Tonight I turned to my fridge, freezer, pantry and herb garden for inspiration and made this delicious meal for one. It was so tasty I wanted to share it here.
Shrimp and White Beans over Angel Hair Pasta
serves 1
15-20 cooked shrimp
8 oz white beans
8 oz heirloom grape & cherry tomatoes – halved
4 oz angel hair pasta
1/2 c toasted panko bread crumbs
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves – minced
1 T chopped shallot
1 T olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T dry white wine
2 T butter
1 t oregano
Fresh basil
1 T toasted pine nuts
red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste
Mix toasted panko bread crumbs with oregano.Chiffonade fresh basil. Cook angel hair pasta as directed on packaging. In a large skillet add olive oil, garlic and shallots and saute for 3-4 minutes at a medium heat, Add red pepper flakes, shrimp and white beans.. After 2-3 minutes, add tomatoes, lemon juice and wine, lower heat and allow to simmer for 3 minutes, add butter, salt and pepper to taste.
In a bowl, layer pasta then add shrimp and bean mixture. Top with pine nuts, panko and basil and serve immediately.
lemon, olive oil, pepper & seasoned salt (I use Melting Pot’s Garlic & Wine Seasoning)
cilantro – optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a muffin tin, place a wonton wrapper into each cup, pressing in as shown below. Place a cube of cream cheese in each.
Bake for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.
While they are baking, remove the tails from the shrimp, place on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil, seasoned salt and pepper, then squeeze fresh lemon over the top. Place in oven for 4-5 minutes.
Lift each wonton onto a plate. Place a dollop of cocktail sauce over the softened cream cheese, then top with a shrimp or two and a cilantro leaf, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
I like to think I came upon my cooking skills from God-given talent, inspiration by family cooks, collecting and reading numerous cookbooks plus my avid interest in food. What I know for sure is that I’m far better today due to my obsession with watching The Food Network. Keep in mind that I was well into adulthood before The Food Network was ever conceived and what now may pass for common knowledge was not so common back in the day. I’m nowhere close to knowing it all and will continue “my education” while watching my friends/instructors Rachael, Ina, Giada, Bobby, Mario, Michael, Geoffrey, Alex and Jeff, to name a few.
Here are the top ten things that I’ve learned from The Food Network
1. Cooking with Wine – Only cook with a wine you’d drink, as it will reduce. If you wouldn’t drink it (think “cooking wine” ick!) then it isn’t worth cooking with.
This confuses me as well.
2. Salt your pasta water – I’m not talking a dash of salt. Get your “salt on” and in doing so you’ll flavor the pasta while cooking it. It makes more of a difference than you’d think.
3. Dry your Sea Scallops – Spence and I love sea scallops yet for years I sadly wasn’t getting a nice golden crust on these tasty treats. Lay out a paper towel and spread them out, now lay another paper towel over the top and press lightly, removing excess moisture, then let them continue to air dry a bit more. Add dry scallops to a searing hot pan and you’ll get lovely, golden scallops on your plate.
4. Don’t fear the Anchovy – I’ve always liked anchovies but thought of them in terms of topping pizza or an ingredient in a Caesar dressing. Where they really shine is as the “salt” element and that little “je ne sais quoi” when added into a sauce or pasta dish. They “melt” into what you’re making (use the back of a wooden spoon to break down if you want). You will not taste any fishy flavor but I guarantee, they add a depth of flavor that takes any dish up a notch.
Just thought this was a funny anchovy quote.
5. How to make a better pot roast – I always thought I made a darn good pot roast and I probably did. Then, watching Jeff Mauro (The Sandwich King) who’d just won The Next Food Network Star, I learned something that rocked my pot roast loving world. I rarely follow recipes (I tend to “wing it”) but after having made this one time, I have not deviated since. The most important lesson – sear not just the top and bottom of the roast but all the sides. I use a big fork to achieve this, propping the meat as I turn it, getting a nice sear on all surfaces. But then the recipe is so perfect that honestly, I believe each step is critical to the final success, even the cooking time as something magical happens in the last 30 minutes. Jeff eventually turns this into a sandwich (which I’ve no doubt is fabulous) but I serve it as a pot roast. The gravy that results with the broth, red wine and pan drippings is phenomenal. Here’s a link to the recipe: http://foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/c/ch/chi/chic/chicago-italian-beef-pot-roast-style-recipe.html
6. Use fresh shrimp – It’s so easy now to get raw, easy-peel, deveined shrimp and cooking with raw shrimp is not time-consuming but the flavor and texture is so much better. For years I would buy cleaned, cooked frozen shrimp and just pop them in at the end of a recipe for shrimp scampi (as an example). Using raw shrimp in any preparation is far superior. An example? Try my Shrimp Ceviche (link below) and then report back to me. I also make a cream of shrimp soup (recipe will appear in the future) using raw shrimp and there is a depth of flavor raw shrimp adds.
7. Don’t Fear Red Pepper Flakes – There was a time that I only used red pepper flakes to enhance my pizza. Not so any longer. My friends/instructors at The Food Network always add red pepper flakes to recipes to “kick up the heat” and now I constantly have them at the ready. Use a little or a lot depending on your need for heat but there’s something magical about what they do to the most basic recipe. Trust me.
8. Use good ingredients – When you really love to cook/eat/entertain – wow your friends and family, don’t skimp. I love Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. If you’ve watched her show or bought one of her cookbooks you’ll notice that she strongly suggests using a good olive oil, mayonnaise or champagne vinegar (as examples). Why? Because when you use good ingredients, your end result is better. Like a Hallmark Card, you care enough to send the very best? Then use good ingredients. Enough said.
Just use the good stuff.
9. Deglaze, carmelize, braise, brine – Just knowing terminology and how to apply this to your cooking can put you ahead of other home cooks. I still believe that one day I’ll be competing on The Food Network simply because of the techniques and technologies I’ve learned.
10. The Power of Compound Butter – I love butter. Slathered on an english muffin or mashed potatoes, in a really great shortbread or taking it to the next level and creating a Compound Butter by integrating another ingredient or several ingredients to softened butter, then using that compound to create something magical. It’s no longer just butter. It’s a burst of flavor and I have numerous recipes, here’s one below that you can use for a roast turkey or chicken.
Two of my passions are travel and food. I’m always intrigued by the cuisine of the country or region I’m visiting and love to discover those spots that the locals frequent.
Spence discovered Costa Rica twenty years ago. Retired, he decided to escape Michigan, spending winters there instead. Still working, I’d take two weeks of vacation to visit him. That first year, he’d gotten the lay of the land and sought out a local haunt and a dish we’d never heard of….ceviche. Knowing me as well as he does, he didn’t need to run it by me – I love all food. Knowing him as well as I do, I trusted I was in for a treat.
From the house he’d rented in a little barrio near Quepos, we walked a mile into town. Inside a small, congested bus station, we wound our way through the locals and vendor stands until Spence motioned me towards the tiny Ceviche stand where we deftly snagged two of the five stools.
“Dos Ceviche con Camarones, por favor” Spence expertly articulated to the woman behind the counter. I perused the short menu on the wall, still unaware what ceviche was but with my limited Spanish, knew shrimp were involved while other varieties featured fish, calamari or octopus.
As we waited, the husband handed us tiny napkins, forks and a couple of 8 packs of saltine crackers, setting a bottle of hot sauce between us. The ceviche arrived, in an oval, pyrex-type vessel, vibrant and appealing. Served very cold, it was not only refreshing but incredibly delicious – the tang of citrus, the crunch of the veggies, the sweetness of the tender shrimp. I was over the moon. Spence simply smiled, having anticipated my enthusiastic reaction.
In the years that followed, we made many trips to this area and specifically to that bus station. Having sampled ceviche in countless places, all with more ambiance (and higher prices), I can say without question, none were better than what we found at the bus station.
After much research, here is my recipe which tastes as close to my memory of that Ceviche.
CEVICHE
serves 8-12 Weight Watchers Smart Points 1 point per 1 cup serving
1 lb fresh, uncooked shrimp
1 c lime juice
1 c medium red onion – finely diced
2 c medium tomatoes-diced
1 jalapeño pepper – seeded and finely diced
1/2 c green bell pepper -diced
2-3 T chopped cilantro (more or less to taste)
3 T fresh orange juice
1 t salt
Peel and clean the shrimp, removing the tails. Chop the raw shrimp into small pieces. Add the finely minced jalapeño, remove the seeds and ribs if you wish to keep the heat in check.
Add the green pepper and red onion next.
Juice your limes and pour over these ingredients.
Now add the tomatoes, orange juice, cilantro and salt. Stir and refrigerate for four hours (stirring periodically to insure that the citrus “cooks” the shrimp evenly.
Ready to “cook”Ready to serve, notice the shrimp are now white and opaque.
Serve and enjoy!
Chef’s Notes: You can substitute the shrimp with grouper or sea bass, just cut it into uniform small pieces. Substitute a sweet white onion for the red. I’ve seen recipes that add cucumber and/or celery diced as well as avocado and if fresh tomatoes are in season, you could add more. While I’ve served this as an appetizer to guests, Spence and I find it a refreshing, chilled entree on a hot night.
