Quick Shrimp Chowder

This recipe was inspired by one on MyRecipes that called for two cans of CoC.  For brevity's sake, I won't go into how to make your own "cream of" soup - though it's quite easy and a variety of recipes abound online.  Or you can look for alternative options available at the store (Amy's and Health Valley are two brands that come to mind).

I had made a cream of potato soup earlier in the week, so I used those leftovers and added some homemade chicken glace. The result was divine.  A definite repeat meal.

Quick Shrimp Chowder

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 large shallot, chopped
1 cup cream of potato soup
3 tbsp chicken glace
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp ground pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled
1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Oyster crackers (optional)

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add butter and melt until lightly browned. Add shallot and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add flour and stir until coated.  Stir in soup, glace, milk, pepper, cayenne and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Add shrimp and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Reduce heat to low and simmer until well thickened.  Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately with oyster crackers, if desired.

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

This was a very tasty meal. We had corn on the side.

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of chipotle pepper
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 (8-ounce) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 lemon wedges

Combine first 7 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Dip 1 fish fillet in buttermilk mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

While fish is cooking, in a small sauce pan, heat the buttermilk mixture over high heat until it reaches a roiling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce until thickened.

Plate the fish, drizzle with the sauce and serve with lemon wedges.

Wine Pairing: A nice, acidic sauvignon blanc.

Mojito Shrimp with Roasted Corn & Poblano Salsa

I made this last week for dinner and The Spouse absolutely loved it. For some reason, the flavor reminded me of General Tsos Chicken. Don't ask, but either way it was tasty. The corn was leftover from grilling out, the shallot, tomatoes and poblano were from our garden. Normally I'd post the salsa separately but I think it contributed significantly to the overall flavor of the dish.

Mojito Shrimp with Roasted Corn & Poblano Salsa

Marinade:
20 chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup sugar
1 thinly sliced shallot
1/3 cup light rum
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp kosher salt

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. peeled, deveined shrimp

Salad:
2 ears of grilled or roasted corn, removed from ear
1 poblano, cored, deseeded and cut in half
2 medium tomatoes, cored, deseeded and cut in half

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Marinade at room temperature 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain marinade.

While shrimp is marinading, heat broiler to 450. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a cooling rack on top. Place poblanos and tomatoes on cooling rack and broil until the skin is charred. Remove from oven and let cool until warm to the touch. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and poblano; dice. Combine with reserved corn; set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat. Add shrimp and sautee until shrimp are pink and cooked thru, about 4 minutes. Remove shrimp from wok, set aside.

Add salsa to the wok and heat thru, stirring constantly. Add shrimp back to the wok, remove from heat and toss with the salsa to combine. Serve immediately.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

My guilty pleasure when The Spouse isn't home is to have tuna. Tuna melt, tuna casserole, tuna anything. He likes tuna steaks but tuna from a can/pouch? No.

This is a light, healthy, summer-y alternative to the traditional mayo-heavy tuna salad. It takes advantage of lots of fresh herbs that are readily available this time of year. We're growing all the herbs this recipe calls for.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

1 garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh parsley
3 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
2 tbsp capers
1 tbsp olive oil
juice from half a lemon
salt and pepper

2 6oz pouches of tuna
1 can white beans (like great northern), drained and rinsed

Combine the first seven ingredients (thru lemon juice) in a small food processor and blend until chopped and well-combined. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, break tuna apart with a fork. Fold in beans and vinaigrette until well combined.

You can serve this a variety of ways - over open-faced sandwiches, with crackers, over lettuce, etc. Me? I had it with a slice of crusty whole-grain sourdough and a few pieces of cheese. Yum.

Spanish Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Today was a miserably cold and wet day, more appropriate for mid-April than late-May. So it seemed appropriate to make a warm chowder for dinner. I also wanted something "spanish" to honor the UEFA Champions League finals between Manchester United and Barcelona, since The Spouse and I were both rooting for Barça... as it turned out, we were celebrating a Spanish WIN! Yay!

Taken from this recipe, I used skim milk instead of 2%, reducing the amount to just 1 cup, and increased the salt and cumin to a full teaspoon. I also made some very quick goat-cheese crostini, which actually were phenomenal with the dish.


But the biggest impact was the teaspoon of saffron I added. If you ever want to turn a dish from hum-drum to exquisite, add saffron.


"Spanish" Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped serrano chile
1 can chopped green chiles, undrained
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, diced, thawed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp saffron
1 can whole-kernel corn
1 lb peeled and deveined small shrimp
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and serrano chile to pan and sauté 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Add canned chiles to pan and cook 1 minute. Add flour to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and next 6 ingredients (through corn) and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

Stir in shrimp. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done. Cover and simmer another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Ladle into bowls, top with crostini and serve.

Wine Pairing: A nice, fruity pinot grigio balances the heat of the chiles and the sweetness of the corn.

p.s. I realize that just adding saffron doesn't make this dish "spanish" but it had totally slipped my mind that the finals were tonight. ::sigh::

Grilled Salmon with Peppercorn-Lime Rub

We love grilled salmon, though I've never made a rub for it before. I found this recipe and decided to modify it.

Grilled Salmon with Peppercorn-Lime Rub

2 tsp grated lime rind
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 salmon fillets
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine lime rind, salt, pepper, garlic and a splash of lime juice. Rub over the flesh of the salmon fillets and let sit for 15 minutes.

While fish is resting, preheat the grill to 400ºF. Add fish, skin-side down, and grill about 8 minutes until it flakes easily with a fork and is still somewhat pink in the middle. Tent with foil and let rest a couple minutes. Remove skin and serve.

Sauteed Whitefish with Spiced Orzo with mixed vegetables

A few days ago - maybe a week - someone on one of the cooking boards I frequent asked "What is the purpose of your blog."

Well, mine is being embodied right now - turning out fantastic meals using off the cuff cooking.

Right now I'm in a condo in Daytona Beach on vacation. We're having a night in rather than eating out and taking advantage of all of the wonderful fresh seafood. However, I'm cooking in a kitchen with:

• no real chopping blocks - there is one that's being used for decoration and to chop limes for drinks....
  
• no knives
• no measuring cups or spoons
• no grill
  
• non-stick cookware (not exactly the best for making pan sauces...which would be my pick after the "no grill" situation)
• a highly limited spice collection (we ADDED basil, garlic, ginger and cumin to make things at least palatable)

The first two would probably be enough to send most cooks to the phone for delivery - no chopping block and no knives? Well screw that! The rest are inconveniences - to be worked around. I managed to find a steak knife in a drawer, so I'm using that to chop for now (I did tell The Spouse, however, that, if he wants mushroom risotto, we're buying a basic chef's knife and chopping block). And I determined that the plastic cups we've been using for wine (since their crystal still has stickers on them....a la "for display only") hold about 7 oz to the top by pouring a small sample bottle of wine into one (small bottle of wine is 187mL, which is 6 1/3 cup and it went to about 1/2 inch from the top).

And yet - and yet - dinner tonight, without any of the accouterments of proper cooking, was delicious. The fish was perfectly done, the orzo flavorful and tender yet not mushy. The Spouse gave it an unofficial rating of "This is delicious, babe."

THAT is what this blog is about - great food under duress.

Sauteed Whitefish with Spiced Orzo with mixed vegetables

1/2 lb whitefish (such as tilapia)
1/2 oz lime juice (or the juice of 1/2 lime)
salt, pepper, cumin

olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
chile powder

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup orzo
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
dash of red wine
1 pkg "southwestern" mixed vegetables (corn, red and green peppers)
salt, pepper, chile powder, cumin

For Fish: Place fish in a non-reactive container. Sprinkle both sides with lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin. Let marinade 2 hours, turning once. Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, add 1 tsp olive oil. Add garlic and shallots and cook until soft. Add in fish, sprinkle with chile powder, and cook 3 minutes, flipping halfway thru. Plate and serve immediately.

For Orzo: Heat non-stick skillet. Add olive oil. Sautee garlic until lightly browned. Add orzo and sautee until orzo is lightly browned and fragrant. Add in chicken broth, water and red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook until done (about 15-20 minutes). Add in vegetable and spices to taste, stirring until vegetables are warmed thru. Serve with fish.

Wine pairing: We had this with Domaine Laureau Savennieres Cuvee de Genets 2000, a wine we found at a shop down here. It was beautiful with the delicate flavor of the fish and the spices added in.

Asian-Spiced Tilapia with Stir-Fry Veggies

Admittedly, the stir-fry veggies are a cheat - they're frozen ones in a bag. I know, I know. But it was still tasty.

Asian-Spiced Tilapia with Stir-Fry Veggies

4 tilapia filets
1/2 tsp chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup soy sauce
dash of mirin
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp wasabe powder
1 pkg frozen stir-fry veggies

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add 1/2 tbsp olive oil.

Mix together the five-spice powder, salt, pepper, and sprinke both sides of the tilapia filets with the mixture. Add to pan and sautee 1 minute each side. Remove fish from pan; keep warm.

Mix together soy sauce, mirin and chicken broth. Add to pan and whisk, loosening the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add spices and whisk more to combine. Add veggies and stir, coating them thoroughly in the sauce. Let cook about 5 minutes. Add fish on top of veggies and continue to cook, about 10 minutes, until fish is done. Plate and serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Tuna with Mediterranean Wine Sauce

This is courtesy of a Cooking Light recipe. I omitted the orange juice.

Pan-Seared Tuna with Mediterranean Wine Sauce

1 cup dry white wine, divided
8 sun-dried tomato halves, packed without oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons chopped pitted Greek olives
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Combine 1/2 cup wine and tomato halves in a 1-cup glass measure. Cover with plastic wrap, and vent. Microwave at high 1 1/2 minutes or until mixture boils; let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Strain tomatoes through a sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; chop tomatoes. Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup wine, and orange juice to the reserved tomato liquid; set aside.

Place fennel seeds and peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder; process until finely ground. Pour into a small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, orange rind, and garlic. Spread spice mixture evenly over 1 side of each tuna steak. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add steaks, crust sides down, to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until fish is medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; keep warm. Add wine mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, olives, and black pepper to skillet; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Combine pasta, 1 teaspoon oil, and cheese in a bowl; toss well. Serve tuna over pasta; drizzle with wine sauce.

Shrimp Quesadillas with pico de gallo

You could go quick and easy with this recipe. However, The Spouse made his famous homemade pico de gallo. However, I don't know how he makes it, so I can't post his recipe. My best guess at it would be 4 tomatoes, cored, de-seeded and diced, 2 bell peppers, cored and diced, 1 large onion, diced, 1-2 jalapeños, diced, salt and lime juice to taste.

Shrimp Quesadillas with pico de gallo

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup lime juice
salt
cumin
chile powder
pico de gallo
cheese
mushrooms
cheese
tortillas

Combine shrimp, lime juice, salt, cumin and chile powder in a bag. Marinade 30-60 minutes. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Empty contents of bag into skillet and sautee until shrimp are cooked thru.

Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Layer on half: cheese, mushrooms, shrimp and pico de gallo. Fold over and broil for 5 minutes, turning halfway thru, until cheese is melted and tortilla lightly browned. Serve with more pico de gallo and chips.

Lime Glazed Scallops on Creamy Wasabi Fettuccine

The nice thing about this recipe is you can make almost any substitution you want for some of the more basic items. Just use whatever you have in your pantry.

12 oz dry fettuccini or tagliatelle
1/3 cup pickled ginger
2 lbs large sea scallops
1 tbsp freshly grated lime peel
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp wasabi powder
1 ¼ cups skim milk (thickened it with corn starch)
¼ cup butter
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
chives, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well. Chop ¼ cup of the ginger and reserve.

Remove connective muscle (it looks like a little knob on the side of the scallop) from each scallop and discard. Pat dry. Toss scallops with lime peel, garlic and a little salt and pepper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add about one-third of the scallops to the pan and cook, without disturbing, for 2 minutes or until deep golden. They may stick at first but will then release as they become brown. Turn and cook 2 minutes longer or until cooked through and deeply golden on the other side. Remove from pan and repeat as necessary to cook all of the remaining scallops.

Blend wasabi with 2 tbsp of milk to make a paste. Pour remaining cream into skillet used to cook the scallops. Add butter and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and whisk in wasabi paste, chopped ginger and Parmesan. Add noodles and cooked scallops.

Toss to coat in sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to pasta bowls and garnish with rosettes made from the remaining pickled ginger.

Shrimp Curry

This isn't exactly authentic, but it's incredibly tasty.

Shrimp Curry

2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp flour
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
~1 cup water or maybe vegetable broth (I used 1/2 the can)
2 tsp curry
1 tsp soy sauce
1 lb cooked shrimp (DH picked up tiger prawns instead. mmmmm)
Kosher Salt to taste
White rice

Melt butter in the skillet. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook until soft (you may want to add the celery first as it takes longer than the onion).

Mix in flour until incorporated. Add tomatoes, water/broth, curry and soy sauce. Stir well until bubbly. Taste, add other spices as needed/wanted (I added a bit of salt since I used low-sodium everything). Add shrimp. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Grilled Fish Tacos

The Spouse said that these were the best version I've made so far.

Too bad I didn't really measure a damn thing. ::sigh::

Grilled Fish Tacos

1 lb tilapia fillets
2 limes
cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper
1 jalapeno
2 small onions (I used baby onions from our garden. slightly more sweet than normal)
1 medium green pepper

Add tilapia fillets to a plastic bag. Juice the two limes into the bag, adding both the juice and the limes. Add spices to taste. Dice jalapeno and 1 onion and add to bag. Seal bag, removing air as best you can. Place in fridge and let marinade for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat grill. De-seed and slice pepper into quarters. Slice onion into rounds. Remove tilapia from marinade. Add peppers, onions and tilapia to grill pan. Grill briefly until fish flakes easily (about 5 minutes) - remove fish from heat but keep warm. Continue cooking veggies until done (about another 5 minutes).

Shred tilapia into bite-sized pieces. Slice peppers into strips, cut onion rounds in half. Serve with various other garnishes (salsa, cheese, cilantro, etc.).

Risotto with Lemon Shrimp, Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese

Last Friday we wanted just a nice, quiet meal. This suited the bill quite nicely

Risotto with Lemon Shrimp, Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese

Marinade
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped lemon zest
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried dill
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine

12 oz medium shrimped, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter (1 tbsp optional)
1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
2 tbsp chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cups hot chicken stock
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp roasted garlic
1 tsp minced lemon zest
2 tbsp chopped green onions

Garnish
12 cherry tomatoes, optional

To make the marinade, combine all ingredients in a medium, nonreactive bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add shrimp and marinate, covered and refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours.

Just prior to cooking the risotto, pour contents of marinade with shrimp into a medium sauce pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and just cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

To make risotto, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously to coat rice with oil-butter mixture.

Carefully add the wine and lemon juice and simmer until it is nearly evaporated. Start adding the heated stock in 1/2 cup increments and slowly stir until each addition of stock is absorbed into the rice. After 2 cups have been added, taste the rice to see if it is cooked al dente. If not, continue adding small amounts of stock until rice is al dente. Add the goat cheese, roasted garlic, lemon zest, green onion, warm shrimp and 1 tbsp butter and stir thoroughly while still on heat. Serve immediately, topped with halved cherry tomatoes if desired.

Asian-Marinaded Salmon

This was supposed to be grilled but I really didn't feel like fussing with it last night. So I baked it instead - turned out brilliantly.

Asian-Marinaded Salmon

2 tbsp less-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp chile paste
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/4 tsp ginger

1 lb salmon filet

Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Put salmon in a small baking dish, skin sidedown. Pour marinade over top, cover and refrigerate. Let marinade 1-2 hours, turning halfway thru.

Bring dish out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375º. Uncover and place dish in oven. Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove skin, plate and serve.

Cajun-rubbed Grilled Salmon

Many updates today. Nothing extraordinary, but all good.

First was a grilled salmon. Now that it's so nice out, The Spouse and I are grilling fools. Salmon sounded good, grilled sounded even better, and cajun was something new.

Cajun-rubbed Grilled Salmon
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 14 oz salmon fillet (skin still attached)

Preheat grill to medium heat. Mix together spices. Rub into flesh of salmon. Place salmon directly on grill and grill over direct heat. Grill until done. Serve with fresh salad.

Crab and Pea Risotto

The Spouse and I decided that one night this weekend we'd have a nice dinner together. We'd thought of just doing crab legs but opted instead to make risotto out of them. The peas were an "I'm SICK of Winter" addition, but added nice texture to the overall dish.

Crab and Pea Risotto
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
crab meat from 4 king crab legs (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup frozen peas
6 shitakee mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add in onion and garlic, sautee until onion is lightly browned. Add in rice and sautee until translucent, stirring frequently. Add in wine, stirring constantly until absorbed.

Add in chicken broth, approximately 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and never letting mixture get completely dry, until broth is absorbed and rice is al dente. When adding in the last 1/2 cup, add in the crab, peas and mushrooms. When broth is almost completely absorbed and the crab is heated through, stir in parmesan cheese. Remove from heat, stirring constantly until cheese is fully incorporated into the risotto. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing: We had this dinner with a bottle of Ayler Kupp 2003 Riesling Auslese.

Dinner for 16 - Jerk Chicken, Harissa-Spiced Shrimp & Chorizo Skewers, Flank Steak

We had my family over for a dinner a few weekends back. We handled the main meal, plus some appetizers. We had probably 10 lbs of food for 16 people - all but about maybe 1 lb of chicken was devoured. Now that's the sign of good food!

Jerk Chicken
1 bunch green onion, white parts only, coarsely chopped
2 habanero chiles, stemmed, seeded, coarsely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp like juice
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 tsp dried thyme
4 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 whole chicken, cut up, plus 2 boneless-skinless chicken breasts

Mix all marinade ingredients together. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Add chicken to plastic bag, add paste to the bag. Seal and rotate the bag to distrubute paste over the chicken. Refrigerate 6-12 hours. Grill over direct medium heat until chicken is done.

Flank Steak
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup evoo
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 -2 lbs

Mix marinade ingredients together. Add flank steak to a plastic bag, pour in marinade, seal bag, rotate to coat flank steak. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Grill over direct medium heat until done (about 10 minutes, turning steak halfway thru)

Harissa-Spiced Shrimp & Chorizo Skewers
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup evoo
2-3 tbsp harissa
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pkg chorizo sausages (4 in total)

Mix lime juice, evoo and harissa. Add shrimp to plastic bag, pour in marinade, seal bag, rotate to coat shrimp. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

While shrimp marinades, bring a pan of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add in chorizo. Cook 20-30 minutes or until sausages cooked thru. Slice sausages into 1/2" pieces.

Remove shrimp from bag, discarding the marinade. Add shrimp & chorizo to skewers, alternating between the two. Grill over direct medium heat until shrimp is done, about 5 minutes, turning skewers halfway thru cooking time.

Sauteed Shrimp in a Feta-Tomato Sauce over Orzo

This was a "use up leftovers in the fridge" recipe. We had a ton of orzo, half a can of tomato sauce, and most of a can of tomato paste that needed to be used up. Turned out pretty good! I'll write the recipe if I was making it from scratch though.

Sauteed Shrimp in a Feta-Tomato Sauce over Orzo

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup uncooked orzo
spices (garlic, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes)
feta crumbles

Make orzo according to package directions.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat through. Sautee garlic until lightly brown. Add in shrimp, season to taste with salt and pepper, and sautee until done.

In a bowl, mix together tomato sauce, tomato paste, season with spices to taste. Add sauce to skillet and heat until sauce is warm and bubbly.

At this point you can either add the feta crumbles to the warm sauce and stir until melted in, or plate the shrimp and sauce over orzo and sprinkle the crumbles on top.

Wine pairing: Casa Silva Reserva 2005 Merlot

Pizza with Peppered Shrimp, Canadian Bacon, Mushrooms and Feta Cheese

Yet another recipe from the wine lovers cookbook. I adore this thing. The cookbook has a very yummy sounding pizza dough recipe, but I didn't have the time last night to make it. Maybe next time.

Pizza with Peppered Shrimp, Canadian Bacon, Mushrooms and Feta Cheese

3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cloves chopped roasted garlic
4 tsp chopped fresh dill (2 tsp dried)
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup diced Canadian bacon
3/4 cup sliced crimini or shiitake mushrooms
1/4 chopped roasted red peppers
2 oz crumbled feta cheese
10 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Red pepper flakes, crushed

In a small mixing bowl, whist together tomato sauce, roasted garlic, dill, salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and lemon juice. Spread evenly on pizza crust. Top pizza with Canadian bacon, mushrooms, peppers and feta cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp black pepper on to shrimp and space them evenly on pizza. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Bake pizza on the top rack of the oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Slice into pieces and serve.