Shrimp Spring Rolls

 

25 Cooked Shrimp (50-70 count), cut into bite size pieces

6-7 Butter Lettuce Leaves

2 small Cucumbers, julienned 

1/2 Sweet Red Pepper, julienned

1 small Carrot, julienned

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

6 Spring Roll Wrappers

Sauce

1/4 cup Mayo

2 tablespoons Chili Garlic Sauce

Zest of Lemon

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated

Salt, Pepper, to taste

To make the sauce:  Mix all of the ingredients.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, add shrimp.  Toss them with the half of the prepared sauce, season with salt and pepper.

Reserve the rest of the sauce for dipping.

To make spring rolls:  Dip spring roll wrapper into hot water for few seconds, one a time.

Place lettuce leave, about 2 tablespoons shrimp mixture,  2 pieces of cucumber, 1 piece of pepper, and few cilantro leaves.  Fold the bottom edge over the filling; fold in both sides and roll up tightly.  Cut in half.

Makes 12 pieces.

Can be made 2 hours ahead.  Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

 

 

Paella

 

Spice Mix for Chicken, recipe to follow

8-9 Chicken Thighs

1/4 cup Olive Oil

5 Sausages, sliced (Johnson's)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

4-5 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 30 oz can Tomatoes, crushed

4 cups Short Grain Rice

6 1/2 cups Water

Generous Pinch Saffron Threads

1 1/2 pounds Seafood Mix (shrimp, scallops, clams)

1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed out

1 Lemon, cut into wedges and grilled

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Chicken Spice Mix

1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.  Generously rub all over the chicken.  Place chicken in a Zip Lock Bag.  Marinate in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Heat oil in a paella dish over medium-high heat.  Saute sausages until browned, remove and reserve.

Add chicken skin side down, brown on all the side for about 10 minutes.  Remove and reserve.

 In the same pan make a sofrito by sauteing the onion, garlic, and parsley for about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Saute for another 5-7 minutes, until the flavors meld.

Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.  

 Add chicken, sausages, and saffron.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the seafood mix.  Cover with foil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and clams open up.  Add the peas.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Place grilled Lemon wedges over the top.

Serves 10-12.

* You can find paella pan in Bed Bath and Beyond for $20.  I used grill BBQ to make the paella.  You can control the temperature of the heat, which helps to achieve the perfect crispy bottom of the paella.

The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

I closely followed Tyler Florence recipe on this one, just making few adjustments to my dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-paella-recipe/index.html

Grilled Shrimp Salad

One pound large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Zucchinis, sliced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into square pieces

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons Black Sesame Seeds

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 tablespoon Wasabi Paste

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

Juice of one Lemon

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/3 cup Grape Seed Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat a grill to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add garlic, wasabi, agave, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, grape seed oil, salt, and pepper.  Whisk and set a side.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper, drizzle with one teaspoon of olive oil.  In a separate bowl, season sliced vegetable with salt and pepper, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil.  Grill shrimp for about 4-5 minutes, flipping once.  Grill the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, turning once.

Transfer shrimp and vegetables to one large bowl.

Pour vinaigrette over shrimp and vegetables.  Toss to coat.  Add sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Coconut Curry Shrimp Skewers

1 1/2 pounds Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup Cocoonut Milk

1 tablespoon Curry Powder

1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

2 tablspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/4 teaspoons Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns

6 Cardamoom Seeds, whole

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/2 Fresh Cillantro, chopped

6-10 Bamboo Skewers, soak for at least 2 hours in water

In a spice grinder, add salt, whole peppercorns, cardamom seeds, and chili flakes.  Ground until fine.

In a large bowl, add coconut milk, curry powder, rice vinegar, olive oil, and prepared spices.  Whisk together.  Add the shrimp, toss until well coated with the coconut mixture.  Marinate for 2 hours in a refrigerator.

Preheat gril to 400 degrees F. 

Insert shrimp on the skewers,  3-4 shrimp per skewer.  Grill for about 6 minutes, turning once.

Move skewers over on a serving platter, sprinkle fresh cillantro.

*Makes about 6-10 skewers, depends on how many shrimp per skewer.

Shrimp Ravioli with White Wine Sauce

4 sheets Fresh Pasta, about one pound

1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup Mascarpone Cream

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

Zest of One Lemon

1 tablespoon Dry Dill

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Olive Oil, for cooking ravioli

To prepare filling:  Using a food processor, process the shrimp.  Add mascarpone, garlic, zest of lemon, dry dill, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Blend for one more minute.

To assemble ravioli:  Place one pasta sheet on a work surface.  Using a teaspoon, arrange 9 dollops of the shrimp filling, one inch a part.  Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash around each filling.  Place another sheet of pasta directly on top, pressing around the filling and sealing the edges.  Using a pizza cutter, cut out squares of ravioli. 

Repeat the same with the other two sheets of pasta. 

 Keep prepared ravioli covered with wet linen.  Makes 18 large ravioli.

*Egg wash helps ravioli to seal better.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted and oiled water.  Carefully add ravioli, 3-4 at a time.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Using a spider strainer, carefully remove ravioli and place on a plate.  Drizzle with a little of oil, to prevent from sticking.  Continue cooking remaining ravioli.

White Wine Sauce

1 tablespoon Butter

1/2 cup White Wine

3/4 cup Half and Half, room temperature

Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the wine, reduce it by half.  Turn the heat to low, add half and half, reduce it by half.  Careful not to allow sauce to boil over.  Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

To serve:  Place 4 ravioli on a plate, pour 2-3 tablespoons of the wine sauce over them.  Top with fresh chives, optional.

Shrimp Fajitas

One Pound Large Shrimp

1/2 pound Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Yellow Pepper, thinly sliced

1 teablespoon Ancho Chili Powder

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.  Season with 1/2 teablespoon Ancho chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle with Olive oil.

In a separate bowl, season all the vegetables with the rest of the Ancho chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle with the rest of the oil.  Toss together.

Preheat a BBQ to medium-high heat.  Grill the vegetables in a grilling pan, for about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, and grill for another 3-4 minutes, until shrimp are pink.

Transfer into a large serving dish.  Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy.

Serves3-4

Shrimp Curry over Glass Noodles

5 oz Vermicelli Style Glass Noodles

1 pound Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 oz Shiitake Mushrooms, cut in half

1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups Orange Juice

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 1/2 tablespoons Curry Powder

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Cook noodles according to directions on the package.

Preheat a skillet to medium high heat, and add oil.  Saute mushrooms and bell pepper for about 3-4 minutes. Season the mushrooms and bell pepper with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.  Add garlic, orange juice, coconut milk, and curry powder. Stir with a whisk.  Add shrimp, and season with salt and pepper, as needed.  Cook shrimp for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink.  Finish off with fresh cilantro.

Serve over Glass Noodles.

Serves 4

I like this particular style of glass noodles.  You can buy them for about $1.50 at any Asian Market.  I have found them at regular grocery store as well.

Half of this package serves about 3-4.  So these noodles go a long way.

Grilled Shrimp with Chili-Orange Sauce

One pound Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

Juice of one Lime

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Salt, Pepper to taste

Chili-Orange Sauce

3 tablespoons Chili-Garlic Sauce

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

Juice of half Orange

Pinch of Salt

Season shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour lemon juice and olive oil over the shrimp and let them marinate for 30 minutes in a refrigerator.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill the shrimp for about 4-5 minutes, flipping them once.

To make chili-orange sauce: in a small bowl, mix all ingredients together with a whisk.  Serve with the grilled shrimp.

Serves 4-5

Ceviche

One pound Seafood Mix (Shrimp, Scallops, Squid)

Juice of 4 Lemons

3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Mango, chopped

1 Cucumber, chopped

1/2  small Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/8 cup Fresh Orange Juice

Zest of one Orange

4-5 dashes Hot Sauce

Salt, Pepper to taste

In a large pan, bring water to boil and season well with salt. Without defrosting the seafood mix, blanch it for no more than 30 seconds. Drain and rinse the mix with cold water to stop the cooking process. Arrange the seafood mix in one layer, add lemon juice, chopped garlic, and marinate 5-6 hours or overnight.

In a small bowl combine ketchup, olive oil, orange juice, zest of an orange, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Drain the seafood mix, add all chopped vegetables, and the sauce. Mix together, season with salt and pepper.

Serves 3-4

*Enjoy with avocado, corn or pita chips. Perfect summer dish...

Grilled Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto

1 Pound Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Salt, Pepper to taste

Cilantro Pesto

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/8 cup Pine Nuts

Juice of one Lemon

2 Garlic Cloves

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pre-heat your grill. Peel shrimp but leave the tails on. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the shrimp so they all evenly covered with oil and seasoning.

Place shrimp directly on the grill for about 2-3 minutes. Flip and grill for about 1-2 minutes. Shrimp are done when they turn pink. Remove of the grill and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Cilantro Pesto; Place all ingredients except extra virgin Olive oil in a food processor or a bender. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add oil and blend until incorporated and smooth.

Toss grilled shrimp with pesto and ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

*Parmesan cheese is salty so try your pesto before you add salt to it. Might not need it at all.

* I love making shrimp when I have my girls over, its elegant, sophisticated, and light on your stomach...