Baked Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is a great summer meal served with a little linguine and a nice glass of wine! We made this a few weeks ago and it did not disappoint. Denis and I always make Ina's baked shrimp so we thought we would try this recipe for shrimp scampi. It was very easy, which I loved, and full of flavor. The fresh herbs and the lemon zest and juice made all the flavors pop with every bite!

Baked Shrimp Scampi

Ina Garten Back to Basics

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 lbs (12 to 15 pound) shrimp in the shell

3 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 extra-large egg yolk

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish , arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and down toward the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and linguine.

Pan-Seared Shrimp and Arugula Risotto

As I have mentioned before risotto is one of my favorite foods, it is definitely in the comfort food category for me. I served this during the summer but it's great for a cool fall night as well. Cooking Light May 2010 issue had a variety of different risotto recipes, my post from June 15th Bacon and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Baby Spinach was taken from the same article. The only problem with risotto is that you need to watch it, stir it and slowly add but it is so easy and I actually doubled this recipe. A few friends came over including my friend Jenny and her husband Andy, and her friend Kumi and we had a relatively quick dinner before we went out and danced like crazy! This was an easy meal to cook for company because it was a one pot dinner and I was able to serve it shortly after they arrived!

Pan-Seared Shrimp and Arugula Risotto

Serves 6

Cooking Light Magazine May 2010

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 cup chopped shallots

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan, do not boil. Keep warm over low heat.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in shrimp; cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in cheese, butter, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat; stir in arugula and basil.

Friday Night Dinner Party

A few of my friends from Marist came for dinner on Friday night, we had such a blast, as always. I love having people over and trying new recipes. So we started out with shrimp scampi on garlic toast. The recipe is designed as a main course so instead of serving it in individual bowls I served it all in one dish. It was really easy and quick. I provided the recipe for separate servings below. For the main course I decided on a simple rosemary chicken and potato dinner with a homemade pesto caesar salad and garlic cheese bread on the side. I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a dutch oven instead of the skillet as the recipe suggests. The chicken wasn't as crispy as I had hoped but I think if I had browned 4 pieces first then removed them, then brown the second 4 pieces of chicken it would have been crispier. For desert I decided to try a molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream. It needs to be served warm so I was able to make the mix before everyone arrived and let it sit. While we were finishing dinner I pre-heated the oven and threw them in for a few minutes when we were done. The recipe calls for mint but I am not a fan so I substituted semi-sweet chocolate bits, next time I want to try caramel. The only thing I wish I had done differently is to grease the ramekins better. They didn't come out as pretty as I had hoped, because they stuck a little, but they still tasted great!

Menu

• Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Toasts
• Pesto Caesar Salad
• Skillet Rosemary Chicken
• Black Angus Garlic Cheese Bread
• Molten Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream

Shrimp Scampi with Garlic Toasts

Food Network Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Kosher salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

8 1/2 slices crusted bread (I used a round french loaf and used 8 pieces)

1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact

3/4 cup dry white wine or low sodium chicken broth (I used wine)

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving (I didn't serve with lemon wedges because I changed the way it was served)

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Preheat the broiler. Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes and cook 1 to 2 minutes; remove from the heat. Brush both sides of the bread with some the garlic mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil the bread until toasted, about 1 minute per side. Divide the bread among 4 bowls.

2. Place the skillet with the remaining garlic mixture over high heat. Add the shrimp and toss to coat, then stir in the wine and lemon zest and juice. Transfer to the broiler and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp with a slotted spoon to the bowls.

3. Return the skillet to high heat and boil the cooking liquid until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and chives. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and simmer 1 to 2 more minutes; pour over the shrimp. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pesto Caesar Salad

Cooking Light Magazine

Yields 6 servings (there was definitely enough for 8 servings)

Ingredients

3 ounces French bread baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cooking spray

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup organic canola mayonnaise, such as Spectrum

3 tablespoons refridgerated pesto

4 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 garlic clove, minced

12 cups torn romaine lettuce

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Place bread in a large bowl; drizzle with oil. I used a large zip lock baggie to coat and I also added a little garlic powder too. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden, turning once.

3. Grate 2 tablespoons cheese; shave remaining cheese to equal about 6 tablespoons. Set shaved cheese aside.

4. Combine grated cheese, mayonnaise, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine croutons and lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle mayonnaise mixture over lettuce mixture; toss to coat.

5. Place 1 1/3 cups salad on each side of six plates, top each serving with 1 tablespoon shaved cheese.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Food Network Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large

Kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each) I bought larger pieces and had the butcher halve them for me

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

2. Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic , 2 teaspoons of salt and red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste with a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon. Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Black Angus Garlic Cheese Bread

Serves about 12

Ingredients

1 baguette French bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup shredded Monterary Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 bunch of whole scallions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced, and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Split the French bread loaf in half horizontally. Make several lengthwise slashes into the surface of the cut side of the bread.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, cheeses, mayonnaise, scallions and garlic until well blended.

3. Use a flexible spatula to spread the mixture on to the cut sides of the bread, working some into the slashes.

4. Bake cut sides up until the cheese mixture is melted, 6 to 8 minutes, then place under the broiler until bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

5. Cut the slices and serve.

Molten Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream

adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, 6 ounces chopped for cake mix, 2 ounces chopped for inside of the cakes

3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

14 ounces of ice cream, such as Haagen Dazs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour 6 ramekins. In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the insert from the pan.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the whole eggs, egg yolks and granulated sugar at high speed until pale and very thick, about 8 minutes. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the flour until just combined.

3. Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins and submerge 4 tiny pieces of the semi-sweet chocolate. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until slightly jiggly in the center, 12 to 14 minutes.

4. Invert the cakes onto plates, wait 20 seconds and remove the ramekins. Top with ice cream and serve immediately.