Seared Tuna w/ Japanese Salsa

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Recipe from My Recipes - Sunset

This is what J made me for my birthday.  It was absolutely delicious!!  It's not often I get a good piece of tuna steak, but it's one of my faves!

This recipe combines the flavors of sake, soy, lemon juice, and cilantro into a great, flavorful combination.  And it's so simple!

Ingredients:
2 sushi grade tuna steaks
1 t minced garlic
Salt and pepper
2 t vegetable oil
1/4 c sake
2 T soy sauce
3/4 c finely chopped tomatoes
2 T finely chopped green onion
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lemon juice
6-8 slices peeled avocado

Directions:
For the salsa, mix together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, 1 T soy and lemon juice.

Pat tuna dry and spread garlic on both sides of steaks, then season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add tuna.  Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides (about 1 minute per side).

Pour in the sake and 1 T soy sauce and remove from heat. Let cool, turning fish often.

Lift tuna from sake mixture, reserving juices.  Slice along the grain and served topped with salsa, avocado and reserved juices.

Slow Cooker Corn & Crab Chowder

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Recipe from Cinnamon 'En' Spice

J and I thought this recipe was good, but not great.  I just think it needed something... maybe a bit more spice to it.  I think I say that everytime I think a recipe needs something. :) 


Ingredients:
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 c carrots, sliced
1 medium sized onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 t fresh thyme
1/4 t old bay seasoning
1 package frozen corn
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
12 ou evaporated skim milk
1/4 t salt
2 T cornstarch
8 ou claw crab meat

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, thyme and old bay in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 or low for 6 hours.

Mix together pepper, milk, corn, cornstarch and salt and stir into slow cooking, cooking on low for another hour.  Stir in crab meat until warm, then serve.

Lemon & Crab Linguini w/ Feta

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Recipe from Cooking Club Magazine

This was a really delicious, light, refreshing and easy dish to make.

Ingredients:
6 ou linguini pasta
3 T EVOO
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c sliced pitted Kalamata or ripe olives (I skipped this as I really don't like olives)
1 1/2 t dried Italian seasoning
8 ou flaked imitation crab meat
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 ou crumbled feta
2 T fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, olives and Italian seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are soft. Stir in crab, lemon juice, salt and pepper and heat about 1 minutes, until just heated through.

Toss pasta with crab mixture and serve sprinkled with basil and feta.

Thai Shrimp and Asparagus

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Recipe from Delish

This was a really simple recipe.  To make it even easier, I cooked the rice the night before, then just heated it in the microwave while I prepared the rest of the meal.  I also added in some green onions from the garden, just because. :)

I thought this was really good, though I could've used a bit more curry, but that's just me. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
1 lb asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 t green curry paste
1 T vegetable oil
2 limes
1 can (13.5-14 ou) lite coconut milk
2 T fish sauce
3-4 green onions, sliced
2 c cooked brown rice

Directions:
In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Toss the shrimp with the curry paste, then place in the skillet for about 3 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove shrimp to a large bowl and set aside.  Add 3 T water to the skillet with asparagus and green onions.  Let cook for about 4 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender and water is evaporated, stirring often.

Move asparagus to the bowl with the shrimp.  Pour coconut milk and 1 t lime zest into the skillet. (Cut the limes into 4 wedges each.)  Bring milk to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened.

Return shrimp/asparagus to the skillet, mix in the fish sauce, and heat through. Serve over rice with lime wedges on the side.

Thai Shrimp and Noodles

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Recipe from Taste and Tell

Simple and delicious!  J and I both really enjoyed this dish, and it was just as good for lunch the next day!

I did adjust the amount of shrimp to pasta - 1 lb of each.

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb pasta (I used fettucine)
5 c broccoli florets (12 ou)
1/3 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 T chile oil
1 T fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 c cashews or almonds

Directions:
Cook spaghetti according to package directions in a large pot.  With about 5 minutes to go, add the broccoli. With about 2-3 minutes to go, add the shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink and opaque and pasta is done.

Strain and then return to pot.

In the meantime, mix together the soy sauce and peanut butter.  Add the sesame and chile oils, ginger and garlic.  Toss this mixture with the pasta, onions, and cashews or almonds.

Serve and enjoy!

Shrimp Summer Rolls

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Recipe from Emeril Lagasse

I really love summer rolls. I made these a couple of times last summer, and they have yet to disappoint.  Summer rolls are very versatile; you can really use whatever flavors you love to make these.   

These do take a bit of time to make, first with prep and then with assembly, but I think they are definitely worth it!

I served these with Ellie Krieger's Vinegar Dipping Sauce,  which includes soy sauce, chili sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, lime juice, carrot and scallion.  It was really good with these rolls, though it definitely had a kick to it. :)

Emeril has a spice mixture called Essence.  The recipe is at the bottom of this post.  You'll want to prepare this before you do anything else.

 Ingredients:
2 ou mung bean or cellophane noodles
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, halved
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c sugar
4 bay leaves
1 T chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1 t chopped garlic
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail removed
2 t Essence, recipe follows
8 (8 1/2 inch) rouch rice paper wrappers
1 c baby spinach (original calls for romaine, but I already had spinach)
1 ou alfalfa sprouts
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded (I cut into matchsticks)

Directions:
Pour 2 cups hot water in a large bowl and add the noodles. Soak until softened but slightly resilient, about 20-30 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels, return to bowl and cover until ready to use.

In a medium stockpot, combine 4 cups water, ginger, lemon, soy sauce, sugar, bay leaves, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne and bring to a boil.  Season the shrimp with the Essence and add to the boiling water. Boil 2 minutes, then remove from heat and keep in hot water for another 2 minutes. Remove shrimp from the water and let it cool.

While shrimp cools, prep the rest of the vegetables.  When they are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise.

Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl.  (Instead of using the kitchen towel, I lightly spray a large plate with Pam and use that to prep the rolls.)

Submerge 1 rice paper into the hot water and soak until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully (this will tear fairly easily) remove rice paper from water and place flat on the towel.

In the center of the rice paper, layer on 1/8 of the noodles, a few baby spinach leaves, about 20 sprouts, 4 halves of shrimp, 4 mint leaves, 4 cilantro sprigs, and 1/8 of the carrots.

Pull the bottom up over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll up like and egg roll.  Place seam side down on a plate (I typically place a damp paper towel on the plate, then cover with another damp paper towel to keep the rice paper soft) and repeat with remaining wrappers.

Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.  If you have leftovers, you can wrap them in damp paper towels, then in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  They keep very well for at least a day (they are always eaten in that time frame in our house).

Emeril's Essence Seasoning
Ingredients:
2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme

Directions:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

Breaded Thyme Shrimp over Pasta

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I just kind of threw this recipe the other day.  I wanted something that would be pretty quick to make, and I was really in the mood for pasta, but something more than just some pasta with sauce thrown on top.

I had a bunch of shrimp in my freezer, so I decided to try to bread it.  This was delicious!  The breading was so incredibly flavorful! I got this method for breading from Tyler Florence, Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Legs. (Btw, I did try this chicken recipe and it is fabulous! I forgot to take pics so no blog post though.)

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c flour
1 c panko
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
2-3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
3 T olive oil

Pasta, cooked
Pasta sauce
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
For the breading process you'll need three bowls.  In the first bowl put in your flower and season with salt and pepper, in the second add your egg seasoned with salt and pepper, and in the third add the panko.

Use a mortar and pestle and crush together the garlic, thyme, 1 T olive oil, salt and pepper.  This process really brings out the flavor of the thyme.  With a fork, mix this into the panko as evenly as you can.

In a large skillet heat your remaining oil over medium heat.  Dry your shrimp well with paper towels or clean kitchen towels to help the breading stick.

First dip the shrimp in the flour, until fully but lightly coated.  Dip it in the eggs and then finally in the panko mixture.  Press panko mixture onto shrimp to make it stick.

Set shrimp on a plate until they are all coated, then put them into the skillet.  You may need to do two batches so they are not too crowded.

Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Remove from skillet and serve over pasta with sauce.  Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Shrimp w/ Chinese Dipping Sauce

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Recipe from Let's Cook Asian

This was a really good, very simple recipe.  But, a warning, the chili oil is quite spicy!  If you're not a fan of spicy, I think sesame oil would work very well in this recipe as a replacement.

Ingredients:
1 lb peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp
1/4 t salt
6 T peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped (I just used about 3/4 can of chopped green chilies)
4 stems fresh cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped

Sauce:
3 T dark soy sauce
3T rice wine vinegar
1 T sugar
2 T chili oil
2 scallions, finely shredded

Directions:
Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt, let stand 15 minutes, then pat dry.

Heat a wok or large skillet, add the peanut oil, and, when hot, add the shrimp and stir-fry in 2 batches for about 1 minute, or until pink and almost cooked through.  Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Drain the oil from the wok, leaving about 1 T.  Add the garlic, ginger and chili and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the cilantro, return the shrimp and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes unil shrimp is cooked through.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

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Recipe from Black Cat Kitchen

 This was a delicious alternative to Shrimp Alfredo.  Definitely slightly healthier. :)

J and I both enjoyed it.  However, the sauce turned out extremely thick.  So I would probably cut back on the cream cheese to maybe 6 ou., and/or add a bit more chicken broth, and probably cut back slightly on the Parmesan as well.  But it tasted great! 

Ingredients:
8 ou whole wheat or whole grain pasta
8 ou shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
8 ou cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
Pepper to taste
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and place in servings bowls.

In a large skillet, saute the shrimp, shallot and garlic.  Once the shrimp is almost completely cooked, add the cream cheese, chicken broth, and pepper to taste.  Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixed well with the broth.

Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Serve over pasta. 

Grilled Herb Tuna Steak

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Recipe from recipetips.com

While J was eating his NY Strip, I was eating this delicious tuna steak!  This was so good!!  I loved the combination of lemon pepper and thyme.  I probably actually could have cooked it just a bit less (I like my tuna rare) but it was still delicious! :)  This is not something I get to eat very often, so I savored every bite!

Ingredients:
1 tuna steak (about 1" thick)
1 T fresh thyme, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t lemon pepper
1/2 bunch fresh thyme, soaked for about 15 minutes in water and drained

Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Mix together thyme, salt and lemon pepper.  Coat the tuna with oil and the rub with the thyme mixture.

Place soaked herbs on the grill, and then place tuna on top of herbs.  Grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness and how you like it cooked.

Garnish with rosemary or thyme if desired.

Shrimp Cakes

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Recipe from Elizabeth's Edible Experience

I was really excited to try this recipe.  I love crab cakes, but the lump crab meat I get at my grocery store - not so great.  I thought these were really good! 

My changes - I skipped the bell pepper - so I didn't even bother cooking the garlic before I put the cakes together.  I just threw it in the bowl with the rest of the stuff.

I made these cakes a day in advance, and cooked them when I was ready to eat.  I made the salsa a few days in advance, except for the avocado - which I added when ready to eat.

Ingredients:
Cakes:
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
3 T reduced-fat mayo
1 T lime juice
1 1/2 t hot sauce
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1 large egg
1/4 c finely chopped cilantro
3/4 c Panko, divided

Salsa:
2 ears corn, roasted (or grilled) and cut from the cob
1 diced peeled avocado
1/4 c chopped cilantro
3 T finely chopped red onion
2 T finely chopped jalapeno
1 T lime juice
1/4 t salt

Directions:
To prepare salsa, combine all ingredients except for avocado and mix well.  Add avocado and stir gently.  (If making this in advance, don't add the avocado until ready to eat.)

Cook the shrimp with some salt and pepper in a skillet until pink.  Place in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Place in a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients including 1/4 c of Panko.  Mix well.

Divide mixture into 4-5 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick.  Pat them with the remaining Panko on both sides.  Let chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Preheat a skillet to about medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.

Cook the cakes for about 4 minutes per side, until browned.  Serve salsa over cakes.

Crab & Avocado Salad

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Recipe from LaaLoosh

I was looking for a light, easy recipe for dinner last night. I found this crab and avocado salad and it fit the bill!

This tasted great - although I wish I could've used fresh crab. Ahhh... if only I lived on the coast.

I changed the quantities a bit from the original to make it suit my tastes a bit better.

Ingredients:
1 Avocado, peeled and diced
6 ou lump crab meat
3-4 roma tomatos, chopped
1 T red onion, finely chopped (I'm guilty of always adding too much and over-powering the dish, so this was a good amount for me)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix the crab, tomatos, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and salt & pepper in a medium bowl and toss to mix.

Carefully mix in the avocado - be careful not to mash it.

Serve at room temp.

Garlic Lemon Shrimp & Orzo w/ Zucchini

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Recipe from Kelly Cooks... and Other Amazing Feats

This is really good, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

I just used zucchini instead of broccoli (as in the original recipe) and I decided to use basil instead of parsley, because I just like the taste better.

Ingredients:
1 c orzo
1-1 1/2 c zucchini sliced and quartered
1 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 c chicken broth (or white wine)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 T butter
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 T basil, roughly chopped
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. During the last 1-2 minutes of cooking add the zucchini. Drain and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and then cook the onion until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.

Add lemon juice and zest, chicken broth and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the butter, and continue stirring until melted.

Add shrimp to the pan and cooked until pink and opaque, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the orzo and zucchini, basil and cheese and toss gently to combine.

Cook another 1-2 minutes until heated through and serve immediately.

Also good cold!

Caprese Salad w/ Shrimp & Avocado

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I needed something quick, easy and light to eat for dinner last night. I was going to see Harry Potter, and knew I'd want popcorn (movie theatre popcorn=huge weakness) , but I needed to eat something before I left. And J wasn't going to be home, so I wanted something that I could easily throw together in one serving.
I love Caprese Salad, and I especially love that there is no cooking involved! Perfect for a summer evening when it's almost 90 degrees out. :)

I decided to throw in some shrimp and avocado and make it a meal! I had some pre-cooked shrimp in the freezer, so all I had to do was thaw. :)

I'm not going to give ingredient amounts, because it all depends on your personal tastes. I would, however, recommend going pretty light on the onion, if you use it. :)

Ingredients:
Tomatos, chopped
Fresh mozzarella, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Basil, roughly chopped
Fresh lemon juice
Red onion, chopped
Salt & pepper
Shrimp, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions:
Place the avocado in a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over top. Mix remaining ingredients to taste. Serve immediately.

Mediterranean Tuna (or Chicken) Salad

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Recipe from Cooking Light - 5 Ingredient / 15 Minute Cookbook

Mmmm... I loved this meal! It was so light - perfect for a summer evening. And it took all of 5 minutes to throw together.

I used tuna for mine, but J hates tuna - so for his salad I used leftover chicken from the Lemon Rosemary Grilled Rotisserie Chicken that we made on Sunday. I had a small taste of his, and this definitely works well either way.

I served these with lemon pepper Pita / Tortilla Chips. I only had half a whole wheat pita, so I used flour tortillas for the rest. The recipe is at the bottom. :) The lemon pepper really went well with this salad. Delish!!

The recipe also called for olives, chopped, but I skipped them and added in some roasted red peppers instead.

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can tuna, drained (or about the same amount of chicken, shredded)
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 T roasted red peppers, chopped
2 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T EVOO
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t salt
2 large tomatos, sliced about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the tuna, onion, celery and roasted red peppers. Next gently mix in the lemon juice, EVOO, pepper and salt.

Set 2 slices of tomato on a plate and cover with about 1/3 of the tuna mixture. Serve with Lemon Pepper Pita/Tortilla Chips.

J's Chicken Salad

Lemon Pepper Pita/Tortilla Chips
Ingredients:
2 6-inch whole wheat pitas (or 3 tortillas - I used flour)
Cooking spray
Lemon pepper seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cut the pitas into 8 wedges, then separate each into 2 triangles. Lay the triangles out on the cookie sheet - don't overlap.

Spray the pita triangles with cooking spray, then lightly sprinkle on the lemon pepper seasoning. Don't overdo it, you don't need a lot to taste it.

Place the cookie sheet in the oven and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Keep on eye on them. They should be a light golden brown and crispy.

Garlicky Shrimp Pasta

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This was inspired by the Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato and Basil that I made for our picnic the other day.

My meal plan is out the window for this week, because I never made it to the store. So I'm just trying to figure out what to make, with whatever we have in the house. I loved this pasta salad that I made, so I decided add to it and make it a meal. I ended up using fettuccine noodles, though it would probably be better with angel hair or orzo (didn't have either of those).

This is definitely something that could be eaten warm, room temp or cold. Last night it was warm. I'll be eating the leftovers today cold, so I'll let you know which way is better.

Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine noodles, cooked (with a bit of salt and oil)
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 c oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
15-20 cherry tomatos, quartered or halved
1/2 zucchini, sliced and then halved
Handful of basil, sliced into thin strips
3/4 c mozzarella, shredded
3/4 c Parmesan, shredded


Directions:
While you are cooking the noodles, in a small saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the shallots and garlic. Saute until tender, but be sure not to burn the garlic.

I added the zucchini into the water with the pasta for the last 2 minutes or so of cooking time. I didn't want it completely raw, so this softened it up a bit.

Meanwhile, cook the shrimp. I dropped it frozen into boiling water that was seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic for about 3-4 minutes. I drained it, ran it under cold water and then peeled and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Drain the pasta and put into a large serving bowl.

Pour the hot oil with shallots and onions over the pasta and toss well to coat the pasta.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta and toss well. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Margarita Shrimp Salad

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Recipe from eatingwell.com

This was delicious. Light and citrusy with excellent flavor! J and I both really liked this. And it really only took maybe 30 minutes to put together. I am putting in the amounts that I used for just the 2 of us.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 c tequila
2 t freshly grated orange zest
1 t freshly grated lime zest
1/2 t salt
1/4 c thinly slivered onion
Creamy Lime-Chile Dressing (see recipe below)
2 c torn romaine
1 medium endives, cored and torn into pieces (1 cups)
1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1/2 T lime juice
1/2 T EVOO

Directions:
Toss shrimp, tequila, orange and lime zest and salt in a medium bowl, cover and marinate in fridge for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Place onion in a small bowl, cover with cold water and ice, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile - prepare the Creamy Lime-Chile Dressing (recipe follows).

Toss romaine, endive, orange, and drained onion into a bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Divide among 2 dishes.

Toss the avocado with lime juice, then divide among the salads.

Drain the shrimp - reserving the marinade.

Heat oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and firm - 2-3 minutes. Divide among the salads.

Add the reserved marinade into the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring. Spoon evenly over the shrimp, and serve.

Creamy Lime-Chile Dressing:
6 T reduced fat sour cream
3 T lime juice
2 t minced jalepeno pepper, seeds removed
1 t chili powder
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt

Directions:
Whisk all ingredients into a small bowl.

(Note: I used the full recipe for the dressing, and I ended up using most of it in the salad.)

Spiced Cilantro Shrimp

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Recipe from Good Things Catered

I made these for dinner to go with the Artichoke, Spinach, Feta Summer Rolls. These could easily be used as an appetizer as well. I really wanted to put them on skewers and grill them, but our grill is being temperamental... hopefully it's an easy fix. :/

Anyway - these were great! They had a really good flavor to them. I bet they'd be even better grilled. :)

I only made 20 shrimp, but I kept the same amounts for the marinade. It was just easier that way.

Ingredients:
20 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
3 T tequila
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t chili powder
Salt & pepper
1-2 T cilantro, finely minced

Directions:
Mix the marinade ingredients, from the lime through the salt & pepper, in a bowl and whisk well.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl and pour the marinade over top. Toss to coat all pieces of shrimp. Place in refrigerator to marinate for about 10 minutes, tossing once more about 1/2 way through.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in skillet. After about 2 minutes (shrimp will begin to turn pink) flip it over for another 1-2 minutes, until pink and opaque all the way through.

Remove from heat, and sprinkle with cilantro.

You can also do this with chicken!!

Pasta w/ Zucchini Strands and Shrimp

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Recipe from Realistic Eats

This was delicious, and a very easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
Salt & Pepper to taste
3/4 lb Fettucini
3/4 lb Zucchini
1/4 c olive oil
2 T minced garlic
1/2 t red pepper flakes
3 T coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/2 c Parmesan
Shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta cooks, cut the zucchini into the smallest, longest julienne strips that you can manage and season with salt and pepper. If your zucchini is very fine, it doesn't need to be cooked. If it's a bit thicker, steam it for a few minutes.

I placed mine in a colander that I placed over the boiling pasta, and put a lid over top for about 2-3 minutes.

In a small saucepan - heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook until very lightly browned. Add the red pepper flakes, then quickly mix in the basil and remove from heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 c of the cooking liquid.

Saute the shrimp for about 3-5 minutes in a little bit of oil and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl, or, as I did, just put it back into the saucepan.

Add the zucchini, oil mixture and Parmesan cheese and toss well. Add some of the reserved pasta water to create a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with shrimp and a bit of Parmesan on top.

Basil Shrimp Orzo

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Based off of And a Cookie for Dessert.

This was a really good, very easy meal. I made a few changes from the original: orzo instead of angel hair, shrimp instead of chicken, tomato paste instead of half & half, and crushed red pepper instead of hot sauce.

Ingredients:
About 8 ou orzo pasta
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 ou) can diced tomatos with garlic and basil
20 shrimp, peeled and deveined - could use more for more people, but this was 2 servings - enough for J and I, and I didn't want it in the leftovers
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 1/2 T tomato paste
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute your onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes. After about 3 minutes add in the shrimp.

Then add the diced tomatos, basil, salt and pepper, red pepper, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture is hot.

Turn off the heat and add the orzo to the skillet. Sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese and mix together.

I also served with a bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of each serving.