Easy Shrimp Scampi (No Alcohol)

I always hate it when I watch YouTube videos and they use the phrase, "highly requested".  Seriously if everything has been so highly requested for years, why are you  just making it now?  OK, annoyed comment, over. 

I have had a few requests.  Namely, shrimp scampi with no alcohol.  Many people don't drink it, don't like it, etc.  Yes, I say the alcohol all cooks off, but for someone who doesn't like it, it doesn't matter. he flavor is concentrated so it is even stronger.   I admittedly don't like alcohol in most of my dishes.  I have a couple I can't do without on but, for the most part, I don't use it a ton.  My husband doesn't groove on it and I am finding more and more people who don't.  So regardless of your reasons, here is an easy recipe, alcohol free, that my husband thinks is the cat's meow.  Well, so to speak.

This is so easy it is ALMOST embarrassing.  I serve this normally over some angel hair pasta, but this day, my husband wanted it plain.  You can serve it with rice as well.  Just PLEASE don't forget some crusty bread too!  Buy your shrimp however you choose, but they need to be peeled and in my opinion, deveined.  Mine were shell on, but they were deveined, so all I had to do was peel them.  Your seafood counter at your store, will likely have several options for you.  You can use fresh or frozen, just let them thaw if they are frozen, in cold water.

I don't normally let my garlic and butter simmer for so long, but in this dish, for me, it is imperative. 

Here is what you will need:

1/2 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 tbsp. butter
1 heaping tbsp. FINELY MINCED garlic

That is it.  Seriously.  I don't even salt and pepper.  In a COLD medium skillet, one your shrimp will cook nicely in, add in butter and garlic.  Turn your burner to medium-low and let the garlic and butter come up to heat together.  DO NOT turn it to high, just let it lovingly dance together in the pan, for a good 5-7 minutes.  LOW and SLOW.  This is what gets the garlic good and infused in your butter and turns your butter 50 shades of sweet and delicious!  After that time has passed, turn to medium heat and add shrimp.  You can increase the temp of the skillet if needed, a LITTLE if you need too.  Cook until shrimp are pink on one side and flip them over.  This will take maybe 1 to 2 min per side depending on their size.

Serve over some hot pasta (I prefer angel hair) with some crusty bread!

PS.  If you WANT to use white wine, add it just as the shrimp are halfway done.  1/4 cup will do ya. 

Your "do NOT burn the garlic or you need to trash the whole thing" Chefwannabe

Cody's Low Country Boil Ya'll!

We had a GREAT time in southern Georgia!  Laughter, love, memories, new beginnings, and FOOD!  Thank to our son and daughter-in-law for making our visit so warm, oh wait, mother nature did THAT part for us!  Anyway, thank you guys for making our trip comfortable, fun, and memorable, we love you both! 

Is there a reason non of you, my fantastic readers who are from GA didn't tell me how hot and HUMID it was?  I mean, I get it, even in Omaha we have horrendous humidity, the kind you walk outside and can't get your breath for a second, but THIS....holy moly, this was some kind of humidity!  I broke out in a rash "prickly heat" all over my arms, it was attractive for sure. NOT.  It rained almost everyday followed by the sun coming out and slowly steaming us alive!  I will never complain about humidity or heat again, never, never, never.  Well, at least not until next summer!

We had a great time, and visited Savannah and Kellers Flea Market which felt almost like being back in Jersey.  On our way back, George even got a North Carolina style BBQ sandwich from "Ida Mae" topped with coleslaw and he was in heaven.  In the parking lot was a fresh shrimp tent, so we nabbed 5 lbs and headed home for Cody to prepare us a delish traditional dish from his area.

He wants me to let you all know this is not a traditional low country boil.  He made it once from what he had on hand, and threw in a few extras and just liked it.  He didn't want his daughter to have to dig in her food to eat corn on the cob so he used frozen kernels.  He is like me, a big fan of eating certain things all mixed together and on the cob, you can't do that.  See he did get some of my traits through osmosis.  He also says you can do this with blue claw crabs, or change up the sausage, as he uses Italian and most use just a smoked sausage.  Anyway, he just wants ya'll (I use this word any chance I get, HA) to know this may not be your traditional recipe but it is his and he loves it! 

Let's get going on this one pot wonder!  By the way, there is a reason they sell shrimp with the heads already cut off, I do NOT enjoy popping heads off of shrimp.  Just for the record, ya'll......

Cody's Low Country Boil
8-10 cups water
1/4 cup seafood seasoning (check out Mr. Pete's Cajun Spices) You can adjust this to your personal taste
1 tbsp red pepper flakes (completely optional)
1 lb Italian Sausage (links or a ring cut into chunks)
2 lbs shrimp (fresh is best but frozen works well too)
3 lg potatoes (scrubbed and cut into 2-3 inch cubes or 2 lbs red new potatoes)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)

In a large pot add your water, seafood seasoning and red pepper flakes to a boil. 

Add in potatoes and sausage, boil for 10 minutes.  Add in corn and green beans.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.  Add in shrimp and cook 5-7 more minutes. 

Serve in a bowl with the broth.  Have some crusty bread on hand to dunk in the juice and enjoy...kind of like this.

Thank you for trotting down memory lane with me!  My son loves to cook and it was a complete pleasure to just sit back and watch exactly how much he DID learn from me! (and maybe his dad, MAYBE)

Your "though I hated the humidity, I LOVED the people of GA" chefwannabe

PS  He also made the most amazing crabcakes I have ever eaten.  As soon as I get his recipe, you will all get it too!

Shrimp Tacos....

and shrimp tacos you shall get!

I had a request for these yesterday and decided hubby would love them.  I just decided as I was at the store what I would get for a sauce and garnish.  They turned out fabulous and hubby was thrilled.  I mean REALLY thrilled.  In fact he gave them an 11 out of 10.  I think he was just kissing up but who cares right?

When I stopped at the Asian Market for shrimp, I had to get them with the shells on and not deveined.  If you can, get your fish monger to do it for you.  If not, get them home, get those shells off, make a slit down his back, and rinse out the icky black digestive thingy.  I am not discussing it further.  I am sure you can find tutorials on YouTube if you have never done it.  This took me forever.  I am such a spoiled brat, I just want to buy them already done. 

When I got home and made these, I was in to much of a hurry to clean as I went.  Have you ever done that?  Just ignore the mass of dirty dishes you are creating and just keep working?  When you finish, you stop and look at your kitchen and think it is possible you just had an out of body experience because there is NO way YOU did all that.  Once the realization sets in, you convince yourself to finally start cleaning up.  After a few dishes, you decide to sit down a second because you need to regain some energy before you finish.  You never finish.  At least not THIS night.  Yea, I was there.  I did it.  It completely sucked. 

Anyway if we are gonna get these made we need to get movin'. 

You will need:
1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
Flour Tortilla's (4)
Bok Choy, shredded (2 cups)
1 sm. Green Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1/4 of a Red Onion .sliced thin
2 Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 tbsp Peanut Oil
2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp garlic

Sprinkle 2 tbsp of old bay seasoning over your shrimp. 

In a nonstick skillet add in peanut oil and let it heat up.  Add shrimp.  Saute until the shrimp are pink on one side.  At this time add 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce and garlic. 

Saute shrimp until the are done or when they are pink on both sides and for a letter "C".  If you let them go to long they become close and make a "O" shape.  They are overcooked at that point usually.  They will still taste great they will just be a bit tougher and not tender. Here is an example.  And for the record I overcooked a few of mine while taking this photo!

Overcooked (O) and Cooked (C)

Heat up shells over a flame or in the oven.  Serve the shrimp in the shell on a bed of bok choy and topped with onions, peppers and tomatoes.  Spoon some of the juice over as well!

These are so easy, but incredibly delicious.  I think it would work just as well with chicken or pork!  Refreshing and a little kick, excellent with a cold beer!

Eat well my friends!

P.S.  You may get more tacos out of 1lb of shrimp.  I hate skimping, so I got 4!

Your "wish is my command" chefwannabe

If you enjoy this recipe, you also like:

Shrimp Scampi (No Alcohol)

Asian Chili Ramen Wrapped Shrimp!

Oh YES I did!  I KNEW I could find a way to let my dirty little secret (Ramen Noodles) into the kitchen.  I knew I could get it to hold a special place in a special dish where it wouldn't be made fun of, ridiculed for its unhealthy existence and not just be referred to as a joke!  I did it!

 

Let me tell you first.  I do not like shrimp.  I like crab and I like lobster.  No shrimpy shrimpy, no scallops, no talapia, not oysters, clams or mussels.  So this one banked shearly on the opinion of my shrimp and all seafood loving husband. 

Do you know how hard it is to find giant shrimp in the middle of the US?  I do use a seafood store here in Omaha that I can USUALLY get what I need at.  Of course, my debit card thought it was buying a diamond but none the less I was able to find about U10 shrimp.  That means that  10 or under make a pound which translates to BIG!  They techinically are Extra Colossal, but I don't feel like that were that big.  Anyway I found them out here as far from any ocean you can get and that alone was a great feat!  I only bought 4 and wrote the recipe that way because I knew my husband would be the only one to eat them.  Make sure they are peeled and deveined, whether you have your fishmonger do it or you do it at home.  Leave the tails on for easier eating!

That being said, I really do not see why you couldn't use a much smaller shrimp and use them as an appetizer or starter if you can't find the bigger shrimp or it is just far more budget friendly.  *and trust me it IS*

This is really so easy to make and it is delicious.  It will look so impressive your friends are going to think you enrolled in culinary school when in reality you were spending time behind their backs with a package of RAMEN noodles! HAHA!

I made these spicy.  To avoid that though, use shrimp flavored ramen and omit the Sriracha!  Let's get going on these babies!

You will need:
4 colossal shrimp
1 pkg chili flavored ramen *this will easily do 8 huge shrimp*
1 tsp Sriracha *optional*
salt and pepper to taste
Peanut oil for frying

Make sure your shrimp are deveined and the tails left on.  Prepare your ramen soup according to package directions only add 1 tsp Sriracha to your boiling water and when cooked,  drain ALL water and then add in 1 tsp butter and flavor packet. 

Mix until all butter is melted and noodles are coated. Let cool completely.  Bring peanut oil to 350 degrees.  Make sure to use a paper towel and dry your shrimp off.  Salt and pepper them to taste or use Mr. Pete's Seasoning!.  Take a small amount of ramen noodles, and carefully wrap the shrimp in the noodles.  Make sure to try and end them so they stick and stay in a position over the top or underneath. 

Wrap all shrimp.  We are not striving for perfection here, as you can see, a little messy wrapping just makes the dish more interesting to look at!

Fry for approx 2 minutes on each side.  Mine were done perfectly, so make sure to watch them according what size shrimp you use. 

Drain on a paper towel and serve!  Use some wasabi, duck sauce or more sriracha for dipping!

Enjoy!!

Your "I found my inner spicy Asian"chefwannabe

Chris