Roasted Shrimp & Orzo salad

I was instantly addicted to this salad the first time I ate it, and ever since then it never fails to disappoint every time I make it.  The recipe comes from Ina Garten and it introduces a few genius techniques that make it extra delicious.  The first is to drench the hot, freshly cooked orzo in the lemon vinaigrette, causing it to soak up the flavor instantly.  The second is to roast the shrimp in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  This is by far the easiest way to cook a perfect shrimp and they taste amazing.  I had a hard time saving enough to toss into the salad.  The remaining ingredients- a combination of herbs, veggies, and feta cheese really make the dish come together.  We took this to a 4th of July cook-out this year and it was a huge hit.  I only changed a few slight things from Ina's recipe, and I assure you it turns out just as delicious!  The end result is a light and refreshing dish that could be served as a side dish or a main course.  

Ingredients:

• 1 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (should take about 3 lemons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 1/2 pound block of feta cheese, medium-diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for about 1 minute less than the recommended lowest number of minutes.  (If the box says 9-11 minutes cook them for 8) This will help you avoid over-cooking the pasta, considering it will keep cooking a bit more sitting in the pot.  While the orzo is cooking, whisk together the lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.  Immediately pour the lemon juice mixture over the hot pasta and stir well.  Keep orzo in the pot off heat to let it cool down while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

To cook the shrimp, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the shrimp on a foil-covered sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for about 4 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. You can tell once they start turning pink and have a somewhat firm touch to them that they are done.  Always err on the side of under- you can cook them for a minute longer if needed but you can't undo it once they are overcooked.  Try not to eat them all straight out from the oven!!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss well and taste for more salt.  Add the feta and stir carefully. 

Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, bring back to room temperature before serving.

Green Goddess Salad with Poached Shrimp

One thing we don't eat enough of is salad, and we're making an effort to change that this summer.  I came across this recipe by Guy Fieri while watching an episode of Guy's Big Bite and made a mental note of it because the dressing looked so good, and I loved the idea of adding flavorful poached shrimp.  We like making our own salad dressings, but we usually stick with vinaigrette.  This green goddess dressing is creamy, tangy, and full of flavor.  I also loved how the shrimp tasted after poaching in a mixture of water, lime, peppercorns, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes.  Overall this was a simple recipe, but super delicious and different than our usual salad.  And if you eat a big bowl, it's a full meal!

Ingredients:

• Shrimp:
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 5 to 6 black peppercorns
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 lime, cut into slices
  • 1 small bunch fresh parsley
  • 2 pounds medium raw de-veined shrimp in the shells (I think I used less than this, but the more shrimp the better!)  Usually the E-Z peel shrimp come de-veined and that's what I buy.

• Dressing: 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream (could sub non-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste (or 2-3 whole canned anchovies)
• 1 small clove garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Salad:
  
  • 2 heads romaine
  • 1 head Bibb lettuce or bag of mixed greens
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, sliced
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/2 cup drained and sliced pepperoncinis (optional)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced

Directions:
To poach the shrimp,  combine 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water with the salt, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, lime and parsley in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes.  

Drop the shrimp into the hot (but not boiling) water and let them sit in the liquid, covered, for about 5 minutes. Keeping the shells on the shrimp during this step enhances their flavor.  After 5 minutes, the shrimp should be cooked through and completely pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp and drain well. Refrigerate until cool, and then peel and discard the shells before serving with the salad.

To make the dressing, combine the mayo, sour cream, basil, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, anchovy paste and garlic in a food processor and puree.  Thin the mixture with water as required, using only 2 tablespoons at a time.  It should be a thick dressing, but thin enough that you can pour it over your salad.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

For the salad, wash the lettuces and roughly chop the romaine hearts and put into a big bowl. Tear the other lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl. Toss the lettuce together with the cucumber, red onion, pepperoncinis, green onions, and bell pepper. Top with the shrimp. Dress lightly with the dressing, and serve!  Add more dressing on individual servings as needed.  Or, if you aren't planning to eat it all at once, dress only after serving so that the salad will keep better in the fridge.

Creamy Potato-Bacon Soup

This soup combines all of the flavors you would have in a loaded baked potato, and it comes out at the perfect creamy and thick consistency for a hearty winter soup. It is relatively simple and there aren't that many ingredients.  The key is to infuse the bacon flavor into the entire soup, and then to add the creaminess by making a sauce separately that gets mixed in at the end.  Best of all, there is no actual cream in the dish so it isn't as bad for you as you might think!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb bacon
5 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, diced 
2 ribs of celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk 
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 green onions, sliced thinly
salt and pepper

Directions:
Dice the bacon before cooking- this allows it to cook evenly and it's already crumbled for when you add it back into the soup.  In a large pot over medium, cook the bacon pieces until they are crispy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Drain with a slotted spoon into a bowl lined with paper towels.  Remove all but about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot. 

Cook the onions, celery, and garlic in the bacon grease for about 7 minutes or until tender.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some freshly cracked pepper to the mix while cooking.  

Next, add the potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  The potatoes should be fully covered.  If your broth is unsalted, add a teaspoon of salt.  You can always add more later, but the potatoes will have more flavor if there is some salt in the broth.  

Cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, until they are just tender.  Careful not to overcook because they will get mushy.  Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan make your roux.  Melt the butter over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour.  Let the flour cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking often.  Slowly add the milk and continue to whisk until all the lumps are gone.  Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Once the potatoes are done, scoop out a small bowl full and mash them up before returning to the pot.  Add the thickened cream sauce to the soup as well, stirring to combine.  

Next, add 1 cup of the cheese, half of the bacon crumbles, and half of the green onions. Let the cheese melt and stir.  Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, and taste to see if you need to add more salt or pepper.

Serve with more cheese, bacon, and green onions on top.  Enjoy! 

Spicy Asian Salmon & Rice Salad

This recipe was inspired by a Summer Rice Salad recipe contest sponsored by the USA Rice Federation.  The winners haven't been announced yet, but I think our recipe is a definite contender.  We decided on an Asian theme and Sean really wanted to incorporate nuoc mam, a tasty and spicy Vietnamese sauce we usually eat with egg rolls.  The flavors of the salmon, green onion, and fresh basil really come together for a deliciously fresh rice salad.  The carrot gives it some crunch, as does the optional fried rice to sprinkle on top.  This is best served at room temperature, or slightly cooled.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups medium-grain rice, cooked and at room temperature (about 2 cups uncooked rice, cooked according to directions with at least 1 teaspoon salt)  To bring the rice to room temp faster, spread it out onto a large platter or in a bowl.  
1/2 cup nuoc mam, divided (recipe below)
1 lb boneless skinless salmon filet
2 green onions, minced (white and green parts)
2 carrots julienned (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced (save a few whole leaves for cooking the salmon)
oil for frying (optional- if you choose to do the fried rice topping) 
2 limes, juiced

For the nuoc mam:
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-4 Thai chili peppers, minced (more or less to taste, and you could use other types of hot peppers as well)
To make the sauce, heat the water in a small pot and add the sugar.  When fully dissolved, remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.  Makes about one cup.

Directions:
Marinate the salmon in a zip-lock bag with 1/4 cup of the nuoc mam for 10 minutes.  Preheat the broiler of your oven.  Place a few basil leaves onto a baking dish and place the salmon on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil for about 12 minutes or until fully cooked through.  Place it on a plate and let it cool slightly.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish.  Next, flake the salmon into small bite sized pieces.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of nuoc mam and lime juice over the rice and stir to combine well.  This gives the rice a delicious tangy and sweet flavor.  Add the green onion, carrots, and basil to the rice and stir to combine.  Finally, mix in the salmon.  

Taste for more salt and pepper.  For the optional crispy rice topping- heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a small pot.  Put a couple spoonfuls of plain cooked rice in the hot oil and break it up with a heat-proof spatula.  

When it starts to brown, remove onto a paper-towel lined plate.  Break into small pieces and serve on top of the rice salad.  (this is what looks like crumbled bacon in the photos!)

Serve at room temperature.  This is delicious and healthy- makes a great lunch or dinner!