GRILLED BASIL PESTO SHRIMP

Talk about an easy but good recipe -- this is it. Just take your favorite pesto, and rub it all over your peeled, deveined jumbo shrimp.

Let it sit for a while in the fridge, then grill it using medium-hot (about 400-425F) temperature. Shrimp doesn't take long to cook, so figure just a few minutes each side. The pesto does not get bitter, it tastes amazing with the shrimp.

This is so good hot, and even better cold. I used the leftover shrimp in a shrimp salad the following day, adding some celery, mayonnaise and a bit more pesto. Very, very yummy. And, of course, I used my homemade pesto to make it even better. I'll be making this again, that's for sure.

BOBBY FLAY'S GINGER-SOY-LIME-MARINATED SHRIMP, Adapted

You can usually depend on Bobby Flay to come up with a flavorful recipe for just about anything. He is such an amazing chef. One of my fave TV shows is Throwdown, where he challenges a chef that has a well-received food product by reinterpreting the product with his version. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses, but the show is always entertaining and informative. Many times, after watching a Throwdown, I'll go to the Food Network website and download one of the recipes to try.

This is not a Throwdown recipe, but it is one that was printed in the Sunday newspaper insert, USA Weekend, last November, to potentially be used for a holiday buffet. I think it's a good year-round recipe. I made three changes.
First, I substituted honey for white sugar. (I like to use almost anything in place of overly processed white sugar, when possible.)
Second, since I don't buy peanut oil, I subbed vegetable oil.
Third, I shucked the shrimp and deveined them. Bobby said to serve this as a peel-and-eat appetizer, but peel-and-eat shrimp turns me off. It's messy, and I don't enjoy eating the veins of shrimp. If you like peel-and-eat shrimp, then don't shuck and devein the shrimp.
This is a good recipe, one that I would make again.

Ginger-Soy-Lime-Marinated Shrimp, Adapted
Source: USA Weekend and Bobby Flay
Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
1" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey (or sugar, if preferred)
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or peanut oil, if preferred)
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails left on

Place shallots, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice and honey in a blender and blend till smooth. Add green onionsand oil; blend till combined. Season with black pepper, to taste. Place shrimp in a medium bowl; pour marinade over; let sit at room temperature 20 minutes.

Preheat grill to high heat (about 450F). Remove shrimp from marinade and place in a single layer on a grill pan. (I don't have a grill pan, so I placed the shrimp directly on the grill grates, but turned that section of the grill off.) Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes each side, or till shrimp are cooked through. Shrimp can also be pan-cooked: Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan and saute for 2-3 minutes, until done.

To serve: Transfer shrimp to a platter or 4 salad plates as an appetizer. (We had this as a dinner entree, served with rice, broccoli and pea pods.)

SICHUAN PEPPERCORN SHRIMP

Asian cooking can be fun and rewarding, but some of the ingredients are exotic and not easy to find. I had to order and then wait for the sichuan peppercorns before I could make this dish. Frankly, I was a tad disappointed. I'm always looking for a recipe that doesn't have an overload of sugar in it, and this recipe had no sugar, but perhaps it needed some. It bordered on bitter. For some reason, it wasn't very hot either, and I think I was expecting it to be. I ate it and somewhat enjoyed it, but probably would not make it again. It's possible that I made a mistake or that some of my ingredients were bad, but for some reason, I'm not up to a second try on this one. If someone else tries it and thinks it's great, please do let me know, as I'm not trying to deliberately knock a recipe. I guess this is the primary reason I rate my recipes -- so you can really get an idea of where the recipe stands. If I just said I enjoyed it, that wouldn't really tell the whole story.

Sichuan Peppercorn Shrimp
Source: closetcooking.blogspot.com
Rating: 6/10

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb shelled and deveined shrimp
1 Tbsp. sichuan peppercorns, toasted & ground (order from Penzey's)
1 Tbsp. oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. lite soy sauce
1 small chili pepper, seeded and chopped (I used serrano)
1 tsp. Thai sweet chili sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Toss shrimp in ground peppercorns; set aside. Heat oil in large frying pan. Add shallots; saute till tender. Add garlic; saute another minute. Add shrimp; cook a few minutes per side; transfer shrimp and shallots to dish to keep warm. Deglaze pan with chicken broth. Stir in soy sauce, chili pepper, chili sauce and lime juice; cook over medium heat till mixture is reduced by half. Stir in shrimp, sesame oil and cilantro and heat through. Serve garnished with green onions.

A YUMMY SHRIMP-PASTA TOSS

Allrecipes.com had a recipe for Fresh Tomato Shrimp Pasta, which I adapted for the ingredients I had on hand. The shrimp were in the freezer, but we caught them ourselves a few months ago. Instead of fettucini, I used thin spaghetti: you can use whatever pasta suits you. The thin spaghetti worked very well with this recipe, especially with the additions of Smart Balance, cream and parsley. For the sauce, I added mushrooms, white wine and some heavy cream. Luckily, my oregano has survived the freezes we've had, so I was able to harvest enough for this recipe, and IMHO, it made the dish superb. Of course, you can use dried oregano, but be sure it's a fresh jar of good-quality oregano, and only use about 1/4 of the amount listed, since dried herbs are more concentrated.

This dish was exquisite -- one that I'll definitely make again. We both liked it. And here's a real bonus for small eaters like us: this recipe made enough for 2 meals. So we had two dinners out of it. It was every bit as good when reheated, two nights later. How's that for efficiency?

Since there is a bit of chopping to do, you can prep all the veggies in the AM, then when you're ready to start dinner, it's a breeze to finish.

Pasta with Shrimp Sauce

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

Pasta: 8 oz. dry thin spaghetti, or other pasta of choice

1 Tbsp. Smart Balance buttery spread or butter

1 Tbsp. heavy cream

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Shrimp Sauce: 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided use

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, patted dry with paper towels

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

4 tsp. chopped fresh garlic

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves (or 1 tsp. dried crushed oregano)

1/2 tsp. crushed dried basil

1/4 cup drinking-quality dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste (taste before using -- I used about 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper)

3/4 cup canned, diced tomatoes in juice

1 cup chicken broth

2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach (I used 2 cups baby spinach)

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil till very hot. Add shrimp and quickly par-cook on both sides, but don't cook through. Remove shrimp to a dish and keep warm.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to pan with onions and mushrooms and saute over medium heat till soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and basil and cook for another minute, stirring as needed. Pour the wine over the veggies and let it bubble for about 30 seconds while scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper, tomatoes and broth and bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered, till mixture reduces. Cover pan and continue to cook sauce on low heat.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook per package directions, until tender.

When pasta is almost done cooking,

stir in the spinach, par-cooked shrimp, and cream, cooking just till heated through.

Drain the pasta and toss with Smart Balance, cream and parsley.

Place in serving bowls and spoon shrimp sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top of shrimp sauce. Enjoy! Yield: 2-4 servings

COCONUT CURRIED SHRIMP

I found this recipe on the My Recipes website. It's from Coastal Living Magazine. Since it called for 1-1/2 lbs. of shrimp, and I had a 1-lb. bag in my freezer (of shrimp we caught ourselves), I reduced the recipe to 2/3. The full recipe serves 4. Click on the link above if you want the full recipe. Otherwise, my version will serve 3. I froze the extra serving and will use it later.

We both enjoyed this recipe. The flavors are good, especially if you serve a chutney with the dish. It makes up rather quickly, too.

Coconut Curried Shrimp

Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp

2 tsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger

1-1/2 garlic cloves, grated

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 tsp. Thai red curry paste

3/4 tsp. curry powder

10 oz. coconut milk (I used lite; full-fat coconut milk will produce a creamier sauce)

2 tsp. lite soy sauce

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. sea salt, if needed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Hot cooked rice

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 3-4 minutes, or till pink, stirring occasionally. (Do not cook shrimp all the way through.) Remove from skillet; cover and keep warm.

Add bell pepper, curry paste and curry powder to skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut milk, soy sauce and brown sugar. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding salt, if necessary. Cook 3 minutes or till curry paste dissolves, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes, or till shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately in shallow bowls over hot cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro. Serve with chutney and chopped peanuts, if desired. Yield: 3 servings

SHRIMP FRA DIAVOLO, ADAPTED

My life is not my own. Two days a week belong to my Physiatrist and Physical Therapist, and one day belongs to my Chiropractic Neurologist. And now I'm adding the dentist. On the plus side, I am getting to read a lot of magazines as I wait in medical offices. This recipe is from the January 2008 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine, courtesy of my Physiatrist. Good Housekeeping has their own website, and this recipe is posted there. Guy and I both enjoyed this. (My changes: I added 1/2 of a green and 1/2 of a red pepper. And I didn't have the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, so I used what I had: regular sun-dried. I rehydrated them in hot water, and added 2 tsp. of EVOO.) A word of caution: don't skimp on the basil; it's important to the flavor of this dish. I made the full recipe, and we got 2 meals out of it. Since I have to cook two pots of pasta, one white for him, and one whole-wheat for me, that was a nice bonus to not have to cook when we had the leftovers. And nothing else is needed with this dish, since it's a completely balanced meal in itself: protein, whole grains and veggies.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Adapted

Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped (or rehydrated tomatoes with some oil added)

2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 red or green bell pepper, sliced in strips (or half of each)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 pkg. (13.25 oz.) whole-grain spaghetti

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes in puree (I used Red Pack plum tomatoes in puree and chopped them)

1 lb. fresh or frozen and thawed shelled and deveined jumbo raw shrimp

1-1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

Heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling on high.

Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch skillet on medium until hot. Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pepper strips and salt; cook and stir another minute or two. Add tomatoes with puree; heat to boiling on medium-high and cook 5 minutes to blend flavors, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Cover and simmer. When water boils, add spaghetti and cook as label directs. About 3-4 minutes before spaghetti is done, turn up heat under skillet and add shrimp. Drain pasta and return to saucepot. Add shrimp mixture and basil to pasta in saucepot; toss to coat. Yield: 4 servings

JUDY'S BEST BOILED SHRIMP

I never buy shrimp already cooked;

IMHO, it has no flavor whatsoever. Another thing I don't buy is farm-raised shrimp. No flavor. I buy local wild-caught shrimp.

For the utmost in flavor, always cook the shrimp in its shell, because the shell helps to flavor the water. However, I don't do that. I like the veins out of the shrimp before it's cooked, because they're full of pollutants. But anyone who tastes my shrimp says it's full of flavor and delicious. Here's how I do it:

Judy's Best Boiled Shrimp

1 stalk celery with leaves

1 small onion

1 carrot

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1 hot pepper

a few sprigs fresh parsley

2 tsp. Old Bay or Chesapeake Bay seasoning

1 cup drinking quality white wine, or beer (optional)

1 lb. fresh or frozen wild-caught shrimp

Chop all the veggies coarsely. Add to a 3-quart pot with 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat; add seasoning and wine or beer (if using). Bring back to a boil; cover; reduce heat enough so that the water maintains a slow boil; cook for 20-25 minutes.

Turn heat back to high and bring pot to a rapid boil. Add shrimp; let pot come back to a boil; turn heat off. If you are using small enough shrimp, it will be done; if they are larger, they may take another 30 seconds or so to finish cooking. Drain the pot and add ice cubes if necessary to stop cooking quickly. You don't want to overcook the shrimp, and it gets done amazingly fast. Remember it will continue to cook after it comes out of the pot if it stays hot. So either cool it down quickly with the ice cubes, or let it finish cooking if you think it needs to. If you're not familiar with cooking shrimp, it might take you a few times to get used to it. I kind of just know now when it's done and whether I need to cool it down with ice cubes.

You can serve these shrimp, chilled, with a nice sauce; or use it for a shrimp salad. Or checkout an amazing crab-shrimp salad over at my other blog, http://freecrabrecipes.blogspot.com.

If you have any questions about this recipe, just leave a comment at the end of this post, and I'll answer you.

POLENTA-CRUSTED SHRIMP WITH MUSTARD AND HERB MAYONNAISE

I saw Giada make this on the Food Network, and retrieved the recipe from their website. I adapted the ingredients to a small batch, because I just wanted to try it out; but I'm printing the full recipe below because this is really, really good, and I'll make it again. This would make a great appetizer for company.

Don't get confused with the polenta. You can use any coarse-ground cornmeal. Don't use fine ground. Medium ground might work, but polenta is like grits; it's very coarse. That's where you'll get the crunch. Don't buy the polenta tubes that are pre-made polenta. You'll want the dry polenta, or grits, or coarse-ground cornmeal.

Polenta-Crusted Shrimp with Mustard and Herb Mayonnaise
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis, 2008
Rating: 8 out of 10

Mustard and Herb Mayonnaise:
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise (I used Smart Balance Lite)
1/4 cup sour cream (I used Lite)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves (I subbed basil)
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (I subbed green onion)

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Polenta-Crusted Shrimp:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups dry polenta
2 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme (I used the equivalent of 1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme)
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail left on
3-4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, for sprinkling

Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 475F. Cover a heavy-duty baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour eggs into anothr small bowl. Mix together the polenta, paprika and thyme in a medium bowl. Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour. Shake off excess. Dip flour-dredged shrimp into eggs, then coat with polenta mixture. Drizzle the shrimp, on both side, with the oil. Place shrimp on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden. Sprinkle with kosher salt, if desired.

Serve immediately with the Mustard and Herb Mayonnaise.

CRISPY COCONUT SHRIMP and ORANGE MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE

Guy and I love the Outback's Gold Coast Coconut Shrimp, so when I found myself with frozen shrimp that needed to be consumed, I decided to try and find a copycat recipe. The Southern Living 2005 Category Winner recipe for Crisco was "Crispy Coconut Chicken Dippers with Wowee Maui Mustard." Since chicken and shrimp are mostly interchangeable, I thought I would try this recipe using shrimp instead of chicken. If you're averse to fried things, then skip this, but the recipe is great and the shrimp were every bit as good as the Outback's. I made my own dipping sauce, because I didn't have the ingredients for the Wowee Maui Mustard recipe (pineapple, red pepper jelly and whole grain mustard).

Crispy Coconut Shrimp and Orange Mustard Dipping Sauce

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 Tbsp. bold and spicy mustard

1 lb. fresh or frozen large shrimp (jumbo are even better)

Vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground dried ginger

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup lime-flavored seltzer water (I used lemon-lime)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko and crushed them fine)

DIRECTIONS: Prepare dipping sauce by mixing together the marmalade and the mustard in a small dish. Set aside. Shuck and devein shrimp and rinse in cold water. Set aside. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches in 3-quart deep pot or frying appliance. (If you have a candy thermometer, use it to monitor the temperature of the oil. It should be 350 degrees F. , no higher, so it's best to use medium heat, not high).

While vegetable oil is heating, whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine coconut and breadcrumbs in a separate large shallow dish (I used a paper plate). Dip shrimp, one at a time, first in wet mixture, then in coconut/breadcrumb mixture. Set the shrimp on a paper towel or paper plate as you get them breaded and ready to fry. When all shrimp are breaded, begin to drop them in to the hot oil, one at a time, being careful not to splash yourself with the hot oil. (A fry basket would be a big help here.) As shrimp go in, the oil will bubble up considerably, and that's why you need a deep pot. Fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with dipping sauce.