Baked Shrimp Scampi

One of the first recipes I ever made with shrimp was shrimp scampi. It is still a favorite of mine today. I typically serve the shrimp over a bed of noodles, sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Last month I noticed several of the barefoot blogger participants posting about Ina's baked shrimp scampi. Instead of serving the scampi over pasta, Ina added a simple breaded topping over the shrimp that could be served on its own. With all the rave reviews I new I had to try it. What a mouthful of flavor! With each bite you could taste the garlic and lemon, complimenting the shrimp nicely. The recipe states that it serves 6 and I was a little skeptical that it would stretch that far, but the dish is so rich it doesn't take much to fill up.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

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2 pounds shrimp in the shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons dry white wine

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

12 tablespoons ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup minced shallots

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 large egg yolk

2/3 cup panko

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. To brown the top, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Source adapted from: www.fodnetwork.com/ina-garten

Spicy Sausage Grits

One of the most frustrating things for me about the Spring is how the weather can be such a teaser! One day it is gorgeous and you want to pull out your capris and short sleeves and the next day you are grabbing your heavy coat as you walk out the door. I am super excited to be grilling again, but there are days, such as today, that are cold and rainy and you just want something warm and comforting. I can't think of a better recipe than warm, creamy grits served with sausage and cheese slow cooked all day in a Crockpot. I wouldn't encourage anyone to make this on a weekly basis, but every once in a while it can make for a comforting and oh so good meal! You can control the spice level based on the sausage decide to use. My personal favorite is andouille sausage.

Spicy Sausage Grits

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2 cups uncooked regular grits

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cheddar cheese soup

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 can whole kernel corn

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce

1/2 pound hot smoked sausage, sliced

3 tablespoons butter

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir in sausage.

Cover and cook on low 4 1/2 hours or until thickened, stirring once after 3 hours. Stir in butter, and serve immediately.

Source: Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook, Oxmoor House, Inc. 2006

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I almost have a hard time describing these sweet little pies. One of my favorite combinations is peanut butter and chocolate so I knew I would be in for a treat. Let’s just say they were dangerously good, so good I didn’t want to share with anyone! The cookies were reminiscent of chocolate cake while the filling was more or less a fluffy peanut butter buttercream. Together they made for a perfect combination. I made them for a fellow co-worker’s birthday, who happens to share my love for peanut butter and chocolate. Everyone in the office seemed to enjoy them and I was happy to share. I am looking forward to making them again, but in the mean time I will have to settle for some Reese's peanut butter cups to fill the void!

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

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For the cookies:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the filling:

1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To make cookies:

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla, Beat until well combined. On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients; mix until combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make filling:

With an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter on high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add confectioners’ sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.

To assemble cookies:

Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Source: Martha Stewart’s Cookies

Grilled Flank Steak

The weather here has finally started warming up, the evenings are beginning to stay lighter for longer, and therefore, grilling season has officially kicked off ! My days are always a little brighter when I can look forward to a night of grilling! I found this recipe over at Our Best Bites. I changed the title of the recipe because I thought it might be a bit too cheesy to call it “Sweet and Savory flank steak”, but the title does fit the dish. The marinade consisted of some of my favorite ingredients that I was excited to try together.  The results of the marinade was a very flavorful steak that was well received by the family.

Grilled Flank Steak

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1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

1 Tablespoon grated ginger

4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak

Combine ingredients for marinade. Whisk together until combined. Remove 1/4 cup of the marinade and set aside.

Score the steak with a knife, cutting a 1/8 inch diagonal line down both sides. This will help to tenderize the meat. Please steak in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Please steak on grill and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the size. Use the reserved 1/4 cup marinade to brush over steak in the last few minutes of grilling. Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes before cutting, letting the juices rest. Cut steak against the grain, in thin slices to serve.

Source adapted from: Our Best Bites

Rosemary and Cheese Breadsticks

In my opinion, the best side dish to accompany pasta is bread! This recipe happened to appear on the same episode as the manicotti dish I shared with you yesterday by Giada. It sounded so good and looked simple enough so I figured I would give it a try. I loved the addition of rosemary to the bread. The rosemary flavor was present, but not overpowering, making the breadsticks that much better. I made some substitutions from the original recipe to incorporate what I had on hand. Overall, it was a great way to take something store bought and add a few additions to make it feel more homemade.

Rosemary and Cheese Breadsticks

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1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/3 cup mozzarella

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 (11 0z) container refrigerated breadstick dough, such as Pillsbury

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, chop parmesan, mozzarella, and rosemary together until coarsely chopped. Set the cheese mixture aside. Separate the dough strips. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut each dough strip in half lengthwise to form thin strips. Working with one dough strip at a time, coat each strip with the cheese mixture, pressing very gently. Twist each cheese covered dough strip and place onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake until breadsticks are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the warm breadsticks to a basket and serve.

Source adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentis