Garlic Butter Shrimp with Quinoa, Green Beans and Pine Nuts

I did not eat shrimp much as a kid. I don't recall it ever being served at home. My guess is that was due to cost or maybe because one of my parents didn't care for it much. I've never really asked them. The only time I remember shrimp being served was during the Holidays with the Wilson side. 

My dad was one of 6 kids, raised in a devote Catholic family. Each of his siblings married and reproduced a few times over, providing me with a myriad of cousins and creating a heck of a fun (and huge!) family gathering whenever we got together. I have so many fond memories of massive family sleepovers. I loved how our gatherings were always a three to four day event. The size of the host's house did not matter. Whether it meant bedding 4 girl cousins in a closet in the basement (true story - I was one of them!), setting up a water bed in the garage, or pitching tents out front, we made space where there was none so that everyone could spend the night. There would be humans on every couch and in every corner and I can't imagine the adults ever slept a wink but these were some of my best childhood memories.

These massive gatherings usually took place around Thanksgiving or Christmas and, as creatures of habit, there grew to be a long listed of foods that were expected, all in the name of tradition. There were my grandma's cinnamon rolls, my mom's homemade Frango mints and Aunt Sundee's bean dip. And then there was the infamous "shrimp soup." I really don't know the history behind that recipe (I'm sure I will though after this post!) but it was definitely one dish the kids were glad to take a pass on. The adults, however, were a different story. Somewhere deep into an afternoon of festivities, someone would start squawking for "shrimp soup" and out from the fridge would come a giant, 2-gallon clear glass jar of cold, red liquid. In it swirled bits of celery and tiny cocktail shrimp and who knows what else. I never hung around long enough to find out because you better believe there was no way I was going to be forced to partake. One of the adults would grab a stack of cocktail cups, plunge a ladle down deep into the jar, and scoop out portions of the tomatoey "shrimp soup." Then my aunts and uncles would stand around and talk and laugh and play Pinochle all while drinking their cupfuls of cold soup. The whole ordeal terrified me. Soup was supposed to be hot. And eaten with a spoon. And what the heck were those little pinkish creatures floating around in there?!

Now as a (slightly more) mature adult, I think I would be willing to give the soup a go. In my old age, I've learned that Pinochle actually is really a fun card game and so wisdom would tell me the soup might be quite tasty as well. My aunts and uncles always seemed to really, legitimately enjoy it and now I'm all about adventurous eating. I also recognize that it is actually "a thing" to eat ones soup cold. So to my extended Wilson family, I think this means a gathering is in order. I'm officially ready to try "shrimp soup." But only if grandma's cinnamon rolls and my mom's Frango mints are also on the menu. ;) 

All this to say, shrimp wasn't a part of my regular childhood repertoire but my kids will tell a different story. I don't recall how it happened but somewhere in my adulthood I realized I actually really do love shrimp, maybe not so much the cocktail variety, but the big and juicy kind. I also discovered that it is one form of protein that all three of my kids like as well (a miracle!!) and so I try to work it into our budget to serve it at least a couple times a month. Shrimp cooks fast so it's a great option for rushed weeknights when we have multiple things on the calendar. We have no problem consuming 2 pounds of it between the 5 of us in one sitting...

This dish is so simple and SO YUMMY. As per usual, I'm always hesitant when I see such a short list of ingredients. But when two of them are butter and garlic? You just can't go wrong. The original recipe I extrapolated this from called for asparagus but I'm a big fan of green beans. Feel free to trade them out for each other according to your taste. Also, if you're really thinking, make extra quinoa to set aside so you can use the extra to whip up a batch of Almond Quinoa Breakfast Cookies.

Garlic Butter Shrimp with Quinoa Green Beans and Pine Nuts

1 cup quinoa, dry
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 lbs large shrimp, raw & deveined
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Prepare quinoa according to package directions and set aside. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat in a large, nonstick skillet with lid or a wok. Add half of the garlic and saute until fragrant (about 10 seconds). Add green beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup hot water and cover and cook until green beans are crisp-tender (about 5-7 minutes), adjusting temperature as needed to keep contents from burning. Transfer to a large bowl and add prepared quinoa. Return skillet to burner and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until pink on all sides. Remove from heat and add to green beans and quinoa along with remaining raw garlic. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Serves 4-6

Thai Coconut Shrimp Cakes

There are very, very few foods that everyone in my family, including all 3 of my kids, like. This is the reality of being a family of five or four or three or even two. Quite frankly, anytime there is more than one member in a household, there is bound to be some food disagreement. And this is one of the many reasons why we have an ever-rotating repertoire of recipes around here - to keep the variety alive AND to stay in hot pursuit of something that everyone will eat. On the rare occasion that everyone is pleased by what I put on the table, I stash the recipe like it's lined in gold and bring it back to the menu almost immediately. Inevitably, someone will decide on the second time around that they "forgot" that they are no longer keen on the dish. Sigh. We can only do our best.

This recipe is one that ALL FIVE family members said they liked. TWICE! Of course it would be a shrimp recipe (which is so totally not affordable enough for me to serve regularly) but I try to splurge every once in a while because the mealtime peace is so worth it. I think the recipe was initially intended to be an appetizer. Alas, I didn't read it closely enough the first time I prepared it and sort of laugh-cried when I saw the pitiful 4 little shrimp cakes that I ended up plopping on the table before my family. Eat up everyone - "dinner" is served. We loved every last crumb that took us all of 3 seconds to devour. Oops, Next time I will pay closer attention to the serving size. I don't remember for sure but I hope I served it with rice that night. Either that or we went to bed hungry.

Don't you worry, I have adjusted the recipe to spare you all the disappointment of getting a whiff of something amazing only to realize you can't have more (like happened to us that fateful first night). I doubled the recipe once but would strongly urge you to double it again if you want any chance of having leftovers. If you've never made a crab cake or a shrimp cake or any sort of savory cake really, don't be alarmed! There couldn't be an easier recipe to break you in. You essentially just toss the ingredients together, form them in balls and press them into a mixture of bread crumbs and coconut. They are not deep-fried and they don't easily fall part. You won't hardly believe the flavor you get for such a simple process. We love coconut over here and, since I don't really know what one pairs with shrimp cakes when serving them as a main dish, I usually opt for coconut rice. Prepare rice the way you usually do but replace a portion of the water with a can of coconut milk. Once the rice is done, toss in a handful of shredded coconut and maybe some chopped cilantro for good measure. Be sure to squeeze your lime wedge on both the shrimp cakes and the rice. Slice up some fresh bell peppers to serve on the side and call it dinner. Done!

Thai Coconut Shrimp Cakes
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

1 1/3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
1/2 cup minced unsweetened dried coconut, divided
¼ cup minced green onions
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound (16 oz) peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 limes, quartered

Combine 2/3 cup panko, ¼ cup coconut, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp; stir just until combined. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 8 equal balls. Combine remaining panko and coconut in a shallow dish. Coat balls in panko mixture; press to form 4 (4-inch) patties.

To prepare in batches, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add 4 patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Repeat with remaining 4 patties. Alternatively, heat electric griddle and drizzle with olive oil. Cook patties, 4 minutes per side. Serve with lime.

Serves 4 (2 shrimp cakes each)

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

It's shrimp week here on the blog! Before you get too deep in this post, let me redirect you to another recipe that serves as a precursor to this one. I'm doing a little two part mini-series that essentially gives you two delicious dinners for the work of one (and a half). If you haven't done so already, you will first want to go and make a big batch of the Chili-Garlic Shrimp that I posted about here and eat it for dinner tonight. Then tomorrow you can proceed with the rest of this post and make the recipe below.

The original recipe here called for chipotle chile in adobo sauce. The first time I made this, I didn't have any off hand and so I simply substituted chili powder and the results were fabulous. The next time around, I followed Cooking Light's version and used the chipotle chile in adobo. Interestingly enough, I didn't really care for it and found I liked my first version better. So that's the one I'm sharing with you today. I also found sunflower seeds to be a delicious alternative to the pumpkin seeds that are a bit tricky for wee ones to eat. This dish whips up super fast and is the perfect choice for those nights when all you have is 15 minutes. Of course to make it that quickly,you have to have planned ahead enough to make the shrimp earlier in the week but most of us can predict that Really Crazy Weeknight Where There's No Time For Dinner at least a day in advance. When that night is approaching, keep this recipe in mind. Also, a slightly less healthful alternative to the lettuce cups is to serve the shrimp mixture with chips for scooping. :)

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 cups shrimp mixture (reserved from Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas)

1/3 cup chopped English cucumber

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon dried chili powder (or 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

8 butter lettuce leaves

4 lime wedges

Coarsely chop shrimp mixture (about 24 shrimp) from Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas. Combine shrimp, cucumber, and bell pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt, chili powder (or minced chipotle chile), and salt. Add yogurt mixture to shrimp mixture; stir to combine. Fold in avocados. Arrange butter lettuce leaves on a platter. Divide shrimp mixture among lettuce leaves; sprinkle evenly with sunflower seeds. Serve with lime wedges.

Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas

I am here this morning to tell you about one thing: SHRIMP! A couple weeks back, I tore out a few pages from the “Superfast Recipes” section of my Cooking Light Magazine and crossed my fingers, hoping the recipes they contained would pass what I will now refer to as The Cooking Light Husband Test. This has been the summer of swimming lessons over here because I'm bound and determined to GET MY KIDS TO SWIM even if it kills me (which it is). This means 45 minutes at the pool nearly every weekday which is awesome but also has forced me to be quicker on my toes when it comes to dinner. This is so not my gifting. When I look out my window, I see my neighbors out playing with their kids until 5:30 PM without batting an eyelash. I can't help but wonder, who is roasting their pork shoulder? Who is rolling out their fresh pasta dough? Who is flash-cooking their tomatoes so they can whip up a batch of Panzanella Tomato Bread Salad? I mean, how do they possibly eat dinner if THEY AREN'T INSIDE COOKING?!

Doesn't every good meal take at least 90 minutes to complete? You see, I have this strange ability to take simple things and make them incredibly intricate and complicated. Like the time I planned a "quick hamburger dinner" and ended up making my own ketchup from scratch and caramelizing my onions for nearly an hour. Yeah. I guess this little "skill" of mine is what makes me a bit dubious when it comes to recipes toted to take "only 20 minutes." The idea of making a meal that fast sounds amazing but I don’t know a lot of diners that pursue their next meal based on how little time it took the chef to prepare it. It took 5 minutes to make? Wow, sounds DELICIOUS! Dish me up a plate.

So this summer has been a bit of my test for me and I've tried really hard to branch out and simplify a bit. And you know what, I've found a couple of recipes that are fast AND hit it out of the park. The week I made all the Superfast Recipes from Cooking Light, my husband complimented me every meal about how good the food had been that week (you know, because the food I usually cook is CRAP). ;) I know I'm not the only one and that there are others of you who are slaving in your kitchens so you can "eat well," wishing you could be outside playing with everyone else. Or maybe just wishing you could find the time to cook something yummy with all the craziness of life, Well then, this post (and the next one) is for you.

One of the great things about this recipe is that you make a big batch of shrimp on one day, reserve half of it and then make a totally different dish with the reserved shrimp the next day. Two super fast meals, two nights in a row with two wildly varying flavors. I'm a little ashamed to admit that prior to this recipe, I don't think I'd ever fed my family snap peas. I "never like them" and so it didn't occur to me to offer them to anyone else. Well, it was through this dish that we learned that THREE members of our tribe actually like snap peas (myself included!!!) I know 3 out of 5 is a failing grade if we're talking a pop quiz or something but when it comes to feeding a young family, a score of 60% is considered a major success. I've now added them as a staple to my weekly shopping list.

We are all also in love with the coconut rice in this recipe and I've prepared it probably 5 times already since discovering it. It's so easy but takes plain rice to the next level. Of course, I like to substitute short grain brown rice sometimes too and just use the entire can of coconut milk (minus the 3 Tablespoons needed for the sauce at the end) and a little extra water. The last thing I'll say about this recipe is that it's gluten-free! Eat up. 

Chili-Garlic Shrimp with Coconut Rice and Snap Peas

(from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

1 cup uncooked jasmine rice

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light coconut milk, divided

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 70)

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil; swirl to coat. Add minced ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Add rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add 1 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup water to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Combine 3/8 teaspoon salt, shrimp, garlic, brown sugar, olive oil, and sambal oelek in a large bowl, stirring well to coat shrimp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of shrimp to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until just cooked through. Place cooked shrimp in a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp. Return cooked shrimp to pan. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons coconut milk and lime rind, and cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Reserve 1/2 of the shrimp mixture.

Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add sugar snap peas; cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Combine snap peas, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; toss to coat. Serve snap peas with rice and remaining 2 cups shrimp mixture.

   

Serves 4

Sort of Thai Noodles

This won't be the first time I've mentioned my love of Ruth Reichl's book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise. Have you read it yet? If your answer is no, then close your laptop, put away your phone, QUIT READING THIS BLOG AND CHECK IT OUT AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. Or download it on your kindle or whatever newfangled reading mechanism you are using these days.

Believe or not, Ruth, the former editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine, is not paying me for this blatant endorsement of her memoir. I just love it that much. Or at least I did when I first got my hands on it 7 years ago. Truth be told, I haven't touched it since (and maybe I should go and re-read it before I talk it up so much??) All I know is that it unearthed a previously-undiscovered secret aspiration to be a food critic. This was a slight diversion from my former desire to be in the FBI. Because, as we all know, being in the FBI looks just like it did for Sandra Bullock (my hero!) in Miss Congeniality.

ANYWAY....so, until I am able to land my more mature dream job as a food critic, I'll just live vicariously through Ruth in the pages of her book. If you love cooking and "foodie novels" as the term goes, the book is worth checking out. It's pages are laced with recipes, a few of which have made an appearance on my table more times then I can count.

This recipe is one of them. It is Ruth's Americanized take on Pad Thai and it is always a hit when I serve it to guests. It's versatile in that you can use whatever sort of ground meat you have on hand. I have had good success with pork, beef and turkey though pork is definitely my favorite.

I adapted the recipe proportions to utilize a full pound of rice noodles and a full pound of ground pork because it drove me nuts having half a package of each left as would happen with the original recipe. The larger scale of my recipe makes it a great go-to when company is coming. The trickiest part is finding a skillet or sauté pan big enough. Making room to cook the eggs as directed is also a little challenging but basically you just need to get them softly scrambled and then they will cook the rest of the way when tossed with the hot noodles. The visual presentation at that point will leave something to be desired but then you sprinkle it with chopped peanuts and slices of lime and voilà - it looks amazing!

 

Sort of Thai Noodles

(adapted a smidge from Ruth Reichl)

 

1 pound thin rice stick noodles

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
8 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced into 1/2-inch lengths
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
4 limes (juice only)
1/2 cup salted peanuts, ground or finely chopped
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish
Chili sauce, such as Sriracha, for garnish

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the dried noodles in a large bowl and pour the hot water over to cover for about 20 minutes or until soft, then drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce and vinegar. Set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, just until they change color, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the garlic to the wok, and as soon as it starts to color and get fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the pork and half of the scallions. Cook just until the pork loses its redness, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the drained noodles and mix quickly. Add the fish sauce mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook 5 to 8 minutes or until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid.

Clear an area of the wok and crack 2 eggs into it, breaking the yolks. Tilt the wok to get as thin a sheet of egg as possible and scramble just until set, about 1 minute. Then mix the egg into the noodles. Repeat with the remaining egg. Add the shrimp, remaining scallions and red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Add the lime juice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Transfer the noodles to a platter and top with a sprinkling of peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, the remaining peanuts and chili sauce on the side.

 

Serves 8